Knock Knock
by WrongRightBlackAndWhite
Summary: Curiosity makes Gloria write a simple letter to the great criminal in Arkham, but she didn't know that this would pull her into a game - so dangerously unwanted and yet deep inside her, it was her desire. FIND PATIENT #4479! MrJ u rock! CHAPTER 8 IS UP!
1. Chapter 1

Knock knock

Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or any of its characters and I never will. I simply wish to borrow them. I'm very grateful for this opportunity.

This story is about Gloria Luis, a very special girl in the end of her teenage years.

Hello, this is a little introduction of myself. I know these ads can be boring sometimes but I ask you to read this so I can explain a little.

I'm a very big fan of the Batman comics, I used to despise the mere thought of it. But when I watched Christopher Nolan's **Batman Begins** I changed my mind drastically. It was not until **The Dark Night **that I fell serious in love with the ideas that Christopher Nolan has created.

Mr Nolan I salute you, your work and so many others has made my days better.

Mr Nolan has turned Batman into a much more fearful character and given the character more personality, the same things goes for Bruce Wayne played by Christian Bale. I was amazed at the character Bruce Wayne was given and how it fit him so perfectly.

But the biggest attraction in the last movie produced by Christopher Nolan is of course The Joker.

Never have I found myself become so obsessed by a mere fiction, I found the character so intriguing that I had to write this fic. I have tried writing others several times, some of them posted on fan fiction, but I have found it hard to continue with them and to finish them. I apologies for this and ask you to bear with me if I do not update that regularly and that often.

I've found my inspirations from of course one of the biggest sources we have; The movies themselves. I take my inspirations from other characters such as The Comedian (Watchmen) Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean).

But the character that Christopher Nolan, and Heath Ledger has created will always be unique. It will be hard to imitate, but I will do my best.

Chapter 1

"_-Knock Knock-_

_-Who's there?-_

_-Me, I kill you-"_

Jeff Dunham, Achmedh the dead terrorist

**Knock **

**Knock**

When someone knocks on the door, their asking the host of the door if they could enter the space of which the door is hiding behind itself. Such formal ethics gives the host a couple of choices, well not really now that I come to think of it. But if you knock on somebody's door, your asking him or her to open, which gives the host an opportunity to decline you or simply let you in.

The person knocking could just have simply walked into the room, and invited themselves should they feel like it without asking for any consent. This is where the ethics serves its purpose. Giving us people a choice.

Everyone has a choice. And everyone chooses.

**Knock **

**Knock**

I stared at the blue door in front of me, knowing that someone was urging me to open. I didn't neglect them, well perhaps I did. But I was going to open… -eventually, something just told me to wait and see how he or she reacts.

_It's mother. Probably. _

I stared at the shadow that lingered on my floor from outside the hall. How long till they give up and decide to go in without consent instead? How long till human instincts take over instead of the developed human ethics?

While squeezing the pink covering on my bed, I smiled, **knowing –**

**that human instinct…**

**-always**

…

…

The doorknob started turning.

…

And the door opened with a screech.

**-always**

…

…

…

**- wins in the end.**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or any of its characters.

Chapter two

"To have a conversation, you need two kinds of people One that listens, And one that speaks."

Mother revealed herself, and stepped into the room. She had a rather confused look on her face. Well of course she was confused, since she'd been knocking all crazy and I refused to open it.

"Gloria", she said, she put her hands on her hips, in a rather defiant stance. "I was knocking. How come you didn't open?"

I smiled up at my mother. Such a sweet lady she is, it's fascinating that all these years mother has cared for me. She and father has clothed me, fed me and provided a place to sleep for me. They've given me love and still they don't throw me out when I do things like these. Shouldn't they put down the foot, eventually they will. Because parents can only take that much.

I was the only child mother and father had together. Kind of boring actually. You don't really have much to do over the days when all your friends are away on vacations you see.

"Just curious mom," I replied simply.

She lifted her eyebrow and gave me a crooked smile. Of course she wouldn't get mad over such a little thing. A mother knows their daughter; that's what my mother would have said if I had asked why she gave the mild reaction. "Curios over what darling?"

I went over behind mom and pulled at her long red hair, braiding it. "Nothing…" I shrugged my shoulders. "Just… -curious."

Without a real effort put into the braid I hurried down the stairs leaving my mother stand in the middle of the doorway to my room like a question mark.

How I would have loved to confuse my mother even more but I simply had to move on, before she asked to many questions.

"Morning, Gloria.", Dad's voice hummed from the living room. "Had a good night sleep?"

I was glancing into the kitchen fridge when dad had called on me. "Why, yes of course. Thank you, dad." I grabbed the can with milk and the Captain Sugar serials from the closet beside the fridge.

"Dad", I called out.

"Yes, darling?"

"You do remember that Yanson called yesterday?" I bent over the kitchen table while pouring the cereals into a cup, trying to glance at the back of our armchair in the living room where dad sat. I saw the second I mentioned Yanson's name he moved in his chair. "Oh, yes." He said uneasily. "Completely forgot about that. Thanks darling."

I shook my head while I poured in the milk. Just like dad. He was working as a guard in Arkham. Not exactly the dream job, but dads always been the type that's constantly fit and strong as a gorilla. When the job offer came he simply couldn't decline.

Just as I was about to eat my first spoon with Captain Sugar, of course the phone had to ring, it certainly disturbed me. I went up like a spear and took our phone that hanged the wall out of its cradle. "You have reached the Walkmans. Gloria Walkman speaking."

"Ah… yes could you put on Brian Walkman for me please?"

Ok, so I had an English accent as well, but I didn't flash with it like that and I certainly didn't speak to people like a pompous prep like this man… who ever he was did. And you would think that a person with such an English-prep accent would know that you acquaint yourself with the person in the other side of the line before you give your request.

I stared at the phone with a lifted eyebrow. "Dad, it's for you." I said with a voice that didn't sound so enthusiastic.

I heard how dad rose from his chair. "Oh, well. It's obviously them. You can't delay the inevitable."

We met in the little hall between the living room and the kitchen, and I reached out the phone to him while trying to message him with my eyes. Our eyes met and he gave me a crooked smile. "Hard, chap?"

I gave out a snort and corrected his collar, smiling. "Trust me, weird one."

I bent forward and whispered in his ear. "Go easy on him will you?"

Father chuckled, and rasied his eyebrows at me. I nodded and tried to look innocent, and of course he played along. He pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Don't worry, love. I'll let him go easy."

Imagine the person on the other line had heard our discreet conversation, which would obviously have resulted devastation for fathers work. Luckily dad had held the phone safely to his shoulder blocking the speak-instrument. Finally he raised the phone.

"Oh, hello Dr Jar-head. Oh, I'm so terribly sorry. I keep forgetting the pronunciation, Dr Jared. No that was my daughter Gloria. What's that..-Oh, of course."

Dad had always been the funny kind of guy. I giggled lightly as I sat down at the kitchen table continuing with my breakfast. I'm glad dad never disappointed me.

He leaned on the table by me and smiled down at me while speaking with Dr Jar-head.

"Yes" he said and nodded. "Yes. No, nonono, it's no problem. I can take a night shift, yes."

Daddy usually took the afternoon shifts and then he'd come home late about ten or eleven, but he had never accepted a nightshift.

"What's that? Corridor A? No?"

I held my hand over my mouth trying to keep myself shut up. This was hilarious, both me and dad loved to mess with people in such an innocent way.

"Oh, corridor K. Yes, thank you. Ok, bye bye. Have a good day, sir. You too."

As soon as dad put the phone in its cradle I burst in laugh. "He's so swindled! … jar-head.. Dad. You're going to get sacked."

He blinked down at me. "It's ok, kid. He'll be fine. Those doctors are meant to be messed with. Everyone serves a purpose."

"So, I take it your purpose is to mess with them, hmm?"

"My purpose is to keep the mentally ill in check. Oh, speaking about the mentally ill, he was speaking about a new celebrity added to their care. In corridor K… or A." He blinked at me again.

I ate a little of my Captain Sugar, and by now they had become solid soaked with milk. "Well", I said "I will be surprised if I find that you don't know who the celebrity is."

"Don't tell me it's that clown?"

I nodded chewing. "It most probably is, they caught him you know. I doesn't surprise me they want his cell heavy guarded at night."

Brian smiled down at his daughter, and as unpredictable as he his he patted her head hard and proudly. "Proud of you, love."

I rolled my eyes. Ok sometimes, dad is too much.

I reached for the morning newspaper and started shifting pages. "Ah, yes here it says. **Gothams master mind criminal known as The Joker has been transferred to Gothams Arkham Asyleum**."

Newspapers never really did interest me. I turned a couple of pages, reading half through some articles that didn't really interest me. But then suddenly something caught my eye.

**Experience the mind of a maniac. **

I scowled and could hardly believe my eyes. They had failed me, tricked me with my own ideas.

"A chance to get into the mind of Gotham's most feared criminal, The Joker. Send a letter and get a reply."

I stared at the advertisement for a couple of seconds and then like a flash I grabbed a scissor and cut the advertisement out of the newspaper. This could just as well be a bluff, just like most of everything. But at the bottom of the advertisement was a signature by Mr Arkham.

I grabbed the cup with Captain Sugar and ran up the stairs into my room. This was going to become very.. very interesting.

Dear Joker

No, I can't right that.

Dear Mr Joker…

…. No sounds too formal. This is an insane maniac where going to write too.

Dear Mr J

Yes, that sounds better. Just as I started writing, I got into a flow and couldn't stop. It was like I new exactly what to write.

Dear Mr J

_What's it like being insane? What are you thinking when you're walking away from an exploding house? Oh, I forgot my name, how rude of me. My name is Gloria, but you may call me G. _

_Why do I do this? One word – curiosity. _

_I wanto know whats going on inside your brain, what kind of clockwork is ticking inside of there. I wanto know what it feels like; to know that you're the reason why children can't sleep at night and the reason why people can't walk alone in the night without seeing ghoulish smiles on everyone, haunting them. Now imagine that…_

_It's really interesting that you can push fear into every person's heart that knows your name, in this insignificant and unimportant city. How do you execute that?_

_Gotham is really lucky that you're locked up in Arkham and all – no offence though. I'm sure you'll understand. _

_And Batman – I haven't met him personally, whats he like?_

_I know he's a hero and all, but when you really think of it, what kind of person would devote his time to crime fighting? _

_No poor man can use so much time on catching the bad guys. People have to make a living, and only the richest of men can spend their time on everything else because they don't need to work. He's obviously got lots of money, how else would he have afforded that suit as well. It kind of makes you think doesn't it?_

_You obviously already know that I saw the add in the newspaper. At first I thought it was a bluff. I don't understand how you're psychiatrists would think that this will be good for you, how is this going to fix you? I think more that if you are the insane maniac that people say you are – which I don't doubt to make clear – this probably gives you ideas. Wishes to the very least. _

_Please accept my apologies if you find this letter, well let's say drop boring. I've never written to an Arkham patient before, let alone anyone like you. _

_Well, I look forward to you're reply and really hope that you do. _

_Don't die on me now_

_G_

There, that sounded good. I knew that it was important to sound confident and not the slightest scared when you're speaking to someone like him. Dad had taught me it was important to look and act very assertive when you're meddling with sick people.

I placed the letter into an envelope and I sealed it. The right address what on the back of the envelope. Now I just had to pray this would work.

I giggled and lay down on my bed looking up at my ceiling.

Sending letters to criminals, and on top of that Gotham's biggest criminal.

_Gloria, sometimes you overdo yourself_, I thought and smiled, tugging my arms under my head. _Well, sometimes that's a good thing. _


	3. Chapter 3

I want to thank all that has reviewed and I hope that I will be able to raise the rib now.

Disclaimer: I don't own Batman or any of its characters.

Chapter three

"_The only sensible way to live in this world is in chaos."_

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

James Lloyd Englehorn hadn't slept well that night. In fact he hadn't slept well for at least a month, he had been dreaming nightmares. The kind that he didn't remember one's he woke up. Every night he woke up cold sweating, unable to understand what scared him so much, because the truth was that he was a very hard man to budge. Nothing affected him at work. Nothing. Guarding psychos wasn't an actual challenge for him anymore; he had worked in Arkham for two years now. He had seen all kinds of faces of fear, all kinds of deep and twisted minds and it didn't scare him anymore.

But there was one patient that he couldn't put his finger on yet, he was hard to figure out. It was Arkhams latest addition, their new celebrity.

Englehorn fiddled with the envelopes he was holding in his hand, and his attention was pointed to the blue small envelope that was sticking out. He fiddled with it in the other hand, turning it back and forth staring at the not so brilliant handwriting. "To The Joker" it said. He chuckled, and shook his head and gathered the letters in his hands while walking through corridor L in Arkham.

After a few seconds he had come into corridor K, the residence for special cases such as the addressed person on the blue envelope. Unidentified and psychotic criminals.

"_Number thirty nine" _Englehorn thought as he came to the cell he was going to deliver the blue envelope, he glanced into the window of the door. There he was, that psycho. Englehorn hated these people; he hated the smell of them, the very sight of them. He hated that some of these people where evil and sick to the very cores of their souls.

"_Sick people"_ he thought with disgust and pushed the button to the speaker. "Hey, Jingles" he said into the microphone. "You got mail."

Joker was sitting on a table in the middle of the white room. He was strapped with a chain around his waist to the chair he was sitting in. They even took caution enough to put shackles around his hands with chains connected to the chain around his waist. Everybody knew that this guy was extremely dangerous, being crazy and all.

Englehorn chewed on his gum and blinked at the man who was currently staring at him with a death glare. If looks could kill. Englehorn chuckled again and opened the white cell door. "Somebody seems to be thinking of you out there." He said while locking the door again. "T'is to bad you're not much of a social person, being a sociopath and all."

The Joker was holding his hands serenely braided together, acting as if he was indifferent. But the truth was that deep inside he wanted to kill that specific guard. He wanted to rip him in peaces and watch him burn. Because everything burns.

Around the white room where four white clothed guards holing truncheons and constantly surveying any sudden movements from The Joker that can be interpreted as hostile.

"Well, well." Said Englehorn while chewing his gum. He held up the blue envelope to his eyes and read outload. "To The Joker. It seems like you've got a fan, Jingles."

Englehorn stepped closer to the table, and looked down on the unpainted face of The Joker. "You know" he said. "For having such an describing name you don't seem funny at all."

Joker licked his lips and bent a little forward while keeping his eyes into Englehorns. "Knock…Knock-eh…" he said emphasising the last tone in the last word.

Englehorn snorted and made a small nodd, bending closer. From distance the Joker could hear how one of the guards gripped his truncheon, getting ready to act. Englehorn knew that there were some issues with this patient, and that he should take caution. But he wanted to know the guys limit, and wanted to know how much he could take before he broke. "Who's there?" he asked with dominance in his voice. Englehorn leaned in closer, trying to tower over him. There was something in Jokers eyes that told him he wanted to kill him.

Joker smacked with his lips, making Englehorn flinch a little. The patient chuckled for a second and then his eyes turned persistent again. He bent forward as far as he could, licking his lips once. "Me…" he finally said and leaned back at the chair again chuckling. "The time is not far away." He said giving Englehorn a smirk. "Now…ah… Englehorn would you please grant what rightfully belongs to me."

The guard didn't move any muscle for a second; he just stood steadfast watching Joker with seeking eyes.

Joker harkled and stretched out his hand. Englehorn snorted and opened the envelope. "You know I can't give you the whole envelope, we wouldn't want you to know who the sender is."

Joker snorted and brushed of his arm. "My mother always told me to know who I'm talking to. We don't like to talk to strangers. It… it can lead to… ah… undesired situations."

Englehorn threw the letter at Jokers table. It had the same colour as the envelope, violet blue. "Well", Englehorn said looking at the envelope. "If it's to some comfort, her name is Gloria."

With those words Englehorn turned the other way and left the melancholic cell, leaving Joker with the blue letter.

Joker fingered at it for a moment, and then after a few seconds he picked it up. Slowly unfolding it while he silently said: "G..loria."

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"Gloria!"

I turned around as I heard somebody call my name. A blond haired guy had just come out of the school bus and he was currently smiling at me. "Gloria" he said again and held out his arms. I lifted my eyebrow and squeezed my schoolbooks to my chest wiggling a little, feeling a little uncomfortable in the situation. I had no idea who the guy was but he clearly knew me. I also took notice of the untidy hair, that sprawled out in almost every direction on his head.

"Uh…" I said as he came forth to me with glowing blue eyes. "I…"

"You haven't aged a day!" he loudly stated and threw his arms around me and embraced me hard. I made no objection, and no attempt to return the embrace.

"Hey!" he said taking a hold of my shoulders and shooting me away from him. "It's good to see you. Oh, after so many years.!"

He didn't seem to care that he was practically screaming the words into my face, resulting other people trying to get into the school turning to look at the scene. Great…

"I… apologies", I finally said hugging my books to my chest. "But… I can't seem to recall… who you are."

The light that had been in the young mans face had suddenly died and replaced by a rather shameful expression. It almost made feel bad, I should have just plaid along and somehow sneaked up his name in another way. The guy was scratching his head and trying to laugh it away. "Yeah" he said with his American accent. It sounded rather ignorant when he said that, 'Yeah'.

"Yeah" he said again. "I didn't really think of that. Uh… sorry."

I nodded and waited patiently for him to continue.

"Well, uh… it's Joey…. You know… we kind of… were childhood friends in… London."

I stared at him for a couple of seconds.

"You know.", he said scratching his head again. "We made a vow as children to.. uh.. marry.. when-"

"Joey!", I screamed almost louder than he had a couple of seconds ago.

My eyes went wide as I stared at him. Josef R Briggs, my best friend as a child in London. We moved away when I was nine to Gotham because father had gotten a new job. I couldn't believe my eyes. I would never have guessed that this was Joey, he had grown from the little fat boy to a real handsome young man.

"Oh my goodness!", I smiled. "I didn't recognise you, your all…" I waved with my hands over his form."- changed."

Joey blinked and made a shrug with his shoulders. "Ah, I kind of started rugby in London."

He took a curl of my hair into his hand and played with it. "Well, you havn't changed a bit. Still the same, only much more cuter though."

I knew that was an attempt to make me blush, he always used to do that when we were children. I rolled my eyes and punched him playfully in the chest turning around to walk into school.

"What made you come to Gotham?" I asked.

He ran up to my side and opened the door for me to the entre. "Well, we've been moving around a lot. Dad's been trying to find the right job. He currently found a new one here in Gotham, I don't get it though."

"Get what? To the left."

He turned to a corridor to the left. "It's his job. He's got a job at Arkhams Asylum."

I stopped at my locker and opened it listening with sharp ears. "Wow, what's his job there…?" I said while taking out my books for the day placing it in my bag.

"Well" Joey continued while leaning his back at the locker right next to mine with his hands in his pocket, while he continued. "He's kind of like gotten partnership there."

It surprised me that Joey seemed kind of sad when he was telling me this. Partnership is the best thing you can get, if not owning something completely. "But Joey, that's great for your dad!"

I closed my locker and continued to towards the reception. Obviously this was the first day in this high school for Joey, he needed to find out which class he was going to join.

Joey followed me like a loyal dog. "Yeah, well. Once he's takes a job he only has it for like two months and then he decides it's not good enough and he starts searching for a new one. As soon as he get's one, we move. I sort of hate it. I don't feel at home anywhere."

It must be hard to be on constant movement and never settling down on a place you can call home. My eyes filled with compassion and I nodded to him. "That I can understand."

His eyes filled with playfulness again and he smiled secretly as walked nonchalantly with his hands in his pocket. "What?" I chuckled.

He looked up at me still smiling secretly. "Nah… just kind of happy we moved here after all."

"And why is that?"

He suddenly put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close to him in a hug, I was relieved to find that he only did it in a boyish kind of way. Like the only way for two boys to hug without making it look bad. "Because now I got my best friends back."

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It turned out that that Joey was having almost every class I was having, except for science and maths. It didn't take long for Joey to get to know my friends.

There was Tia, the punk girl. She always dressed in black, didn't matter what day or weather it was. Tia was the kind of girl that was easy to talk to if you let her in. After a couple of days when you finally get to know she seems like the sweetest human being alive.

Then there was Alma, she was the beauty in our little group. When we walked in the corridors every descent boy's eyes fell on her and no one else. She was our little beauty magnet.

Then there was Jimmy, he was the funny guy in our group. He almost seemed to find something funny about everything, and sometimes he managed to get detention over making a fool out of some of the teachers, with success as well.

And then there was Jake, he was the rebel and the one who got the most detentions than anyone in high school. He seemed to find something bad about everything, he was our pessimist. And me? I was the optimist in our group, or so they've told me.

Jimmy was currently taking some fries for his lunch in the queue. "Hey" he said trying to get all of our attention. "You heard about the newspaper add? The one about The Joker?"

Joey snorted. "No I haven't but the name would to fit you nicely."

"Funny, Joey, really funny.", Tia commented rolling her eyes. "He's a horrible man."

I took some salad on my plate and listened to the conversation.

"Well seriously" Jimmy said. "Isn't it cool. You can write to him!"

Jimmy reached for something in his pocket while Tia was giving him a defiant glance. "No, really I found something." He reached out his hand and showed us a paper clipped out from a newspaper. The add was about writing to the Joker.

"Wow" Tia exclaimed. "That can't be real can it?"

"Are you calling me a liar? I saw it in the newspaper with my own eyes! I clipped it out. This is so cool."

I stepped out of the queue to get to one of the tables. "No he's telling the truth. I saw it as well."

I placed my plate on the table along with the others and suddenly conversations about the newspaper add erupted.

"Who is this Joker guy anyway?" Joey suddenly asked and everybody fell silent staring at him. He held up his hands as if he had done a big crime. "Wow, what's your charge?"

"You honestly don't know who The Joker is?" Alma asked him.

I sat silent poking on my vegetables with my fork, I had suddenly lost my appetite. Meanwhile Joey told us he had no idea who he was.

"He's a damn psycho, that's what he is." Jake said while throwing is long black hair out of his face. "He's got scars on both sides of his mouth."

Jake sat suddenly up and bent forward as if he was going to whisper. "I heard he did it himself. Three years ago, the poor guy was a wreck. Wanted some more smiles on his life. So he put it on himself permanently."

"No" Tia said. "That can't be right. I heard his dad did it."

"Who's gives a heck about who did it" Alma said and drank a little milk. "Good thing is he's locked up in Arkham and won't come out in a very long, long time."

As soon as the name Arkham left Alma's lips Joey frowned. "Arkham?"

"What about it?" Jake asked.

"Oh… his dad has partnership there." I answered for Joey when he didn't say anything.

Jimmy lit up and looked at Joey. "How cool isn't that? You ever plan on sneaking in, let me now."

I gave Jimmy a glare. "There is no chance you guys ever are going to get near that place, I've spoken to my dad about it and he sais that place is heavy guarded. Real heavy."

Tia nodded. "Oh yeah your dad works there. He's a guard, yes?"

I nodded. "Yes."

Jimmy stood up on the floor throwing his arms to his sides. "That's great!" He didn't seem to mind that it looked like a theatrical movement and that he had caught most people's attention. "G, don't you see! We've got a better chance on sneaking in now! How about you tell your dad-"

"Never going to happen" I snapped him off and nonchalantly tried to concentrate on my food. Alma put her hand over her mouth and started to giggle.

The young man sat down on the chair again, he didn't even look disappointed. "Oh, that's alright.", he said to me. He then turned his attention to Alma. "All get myself in another way."

The conversation fell silent and for a few seconds everyone was concentrating on their food, but only until Jimmy disrupted it. "I'm thinking of doing it."

Jake put down his fork and glared at Jimmy. "Doing what?" He asked irritated. Jake's eyes where saying _"don't ruin my meal!"_

Jimmy nodded to the newspaper add in the middle of the table. "It wouldn't hurt if I did."

My eyes darted to him. Something inside me said no, and chanted about how much of a bad idea that was. But I had already done it… I didn't get that feeling then. It came to me a couple of seconds later that I didn't want him to do it because I wanted to be the only one. It felt like only I had a right to perform it because I was meant to do it from the beginning. It made sense in some kind of way. _"Get a grip, Gloria."_ I waved with my fork as I spoke. "Well" I said. "It would be interesting to get an answere wouldn't you think?"

Jimmy nodded to me, smiling and I smiled back. "I know one thing for sure, and that is that you're up to something Miss England."

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Joker stationed the blue letter on the table, just a few millimetres from his hand. He could still see the first two words on it. _"Dear Mr.J"_ He frowned and read it again, but this time only the first side of the letter. He frowned. _"Interesting."_

Behind the cell door was a sound of clanging, the lock was suddenly turned and the cell door opened. The person who stepped in revealed to be Englehorn. The guard walked in the room, and the Joker could see that there was something with the way he moved that had changed. It looked more mechanical now. Even his eyes, as Joker met them where different. "Ah…" Joker said. "Bad day?"

Englehorns stepped up infront of Jokers table and he forced his truncheon on the table, the loud slam echoed in the white cell. Joker didn't even flinch, he only looked from the truncheon only a couple of millimetres from his fingers up to Englehorn who really looked vexed.

Without uttering a word, Englehorn removed his truncheon and backed to the wall to stand and survey everything Joker did like all the other guards that stood in the cell.

"Oh, I see… "Joker said. "That's why you're mad. You missed that yesterday didn't you? Little wify didn't want to, hugh?"

Englehorns cheek twitched and this didn't go unnoticed by the Arkham Patient. He chuckled at his small victory and then turned his attention to the door that opened again.

A man with dark skin, grey beard and black suit stepped into the cell. "Well, hello, Doc." Joker greeted and leaned back on his chair. "Long time no see."

Doctor Allman sat down on the chair that was opposite to Joker. He lifted his suitcase to the table and opened it taking out some papers. "Good evening, son."

Joker closed his eyes and braided his fingers together serenely while putting his arms on the table. "Listen, Doc…" he said licking his lips. "Didn't we agree… not to use those nicknames."

There was a small silence between them. Allman put his suitcase down on the floor again and sighed while looking through his papers. "Mr… Joker… we have no identification that belongs to you. No lead that can tell us of who you are. We have no criminal records except for the one's that has been witnessed here in Gotham. We have no birth certificate; you might as well not exist. We have no name." He gathered the papers again. He looked into Jokers eyes again and said more persistently. "No name. Now what do you suggest I call you?"

For a couple of seconds Joker sat in silence thinking. Then he lifted the letter and stared at the crooked letters. _"Dear Mr.J" _He smiled. It was as if it fit together in a puzzle. _"Interesting."_

"Son?", Allman called.

Joker put the letter down again and met Allmans eyes. "You can call me… Mr.J."

Allman frowned. He glanced down at the letter and then up at Joker again. "That's very good… Mr.J. Very good. I trust you have received a letter?"

Joker waved with the blue later and let it fall down on the table by itself, while he leaned back on the chair as if he knew the doctor was going to speak about nonsense.

"Excellent. May I?"

Allman didn't wait for an answer and took the letter and read it himself. He chuckled when he was done. "Well, well, Mr.J. I can see from where you get your inspiration." He said and hinted the name Joker had come up with.

Joker tugged his shoulders, and snorted. He took the letter back and fiddled with it.

"You ever though of writing back?" Allman suddenly asked.

Joker chuckled and finally came back to the conversation. "Doc, Doc, Doc. There was a reason you put me in here." He threw his arms out in a gesture making the chains clang. "To keep me from people. Now I wouldn't even write to myself."

Allman nodded slowly and had a little dismayed look on in face. He was noting while he grimly stated; "So, that's a no…"

"Doc…" Joker said and played with a peace of paper between his fingers, he had ripped of from the letter. "Don't act like you know what you're doing, because you don't."

He waved with his hand to the side. "This- all of this is a total waste of time. I know why you want me to write that letter. It's smart. I'll give you that." He made a crooked smile. "But it won't work."

There was silence from Allman's side. He was frowning, and thinking frustrated over what he was going to say back to make Joker convinced that things was not that way. "What makes you so sure?" he settled with asking.

Joker smacked with his lips and bent forward holding his hand on one side of his mouth. He glanced at the guards and then back at Allman. "Let me tell you a little secret, Doc. I you wanna figure someone out, don't rely on a letter with a few sentences. That… ah… can only lead to a-"

Joker glanced over Allman's shoulder and met Englehorns eyes. "-Big… mistake."

Allman blinked a few times and leaned back on his chair. "Mr.J, I respect that you have your opinions and I also respect that you have your standards. However, that will not stop you from writing that letter."

From that moment Joker cut of him laughing hysterically. "Why would I not write the reply? Are you posing that I would leave a kid disappointed?" He shook his head. "No, no- I'm not that kind of a guy."

The doctor took fast notes while asking with his neural voice. "What kind of a guy are you?"

"A crazy son of a bitch." Joker laughed and smacked his hands on the table, laughing hysterically again. The only answer Joker got was a raised eye from Allman.

"Or so I've heard." He said in defence.

There was no amused look on Allmans face, not even the fate hint of a smile. The psychiatrist only settled with looking boring and taking notes as usual.

"Mr.J, do you think you are crazy?"

The patient laughed for a few seconds and then suddenly he switched to a serious state of emotion and he was shaking his head. "I'm **not**… crazy. I just see things differently from you and the rest of these goons."

"Care to explain, Mr.J?"

Joker had an amused look on his face and wiggled his index finger slowly. "You're not doing your job, Doc." He shook his head. "I can't give you the keys, not yet. The fun has only started. You're a psychiatrist."

He hinted the doctor to come closer. Allman bent forward and leant his arms on the table. Just as he was close enough, Joker charged forward and grabbed his hands and pulled him closer, until Allman was close enough to feel Jokers breath on his ear, Joker stopped. Joker chuckled in the doctors ear. "Figure me out" he said with a hoarse voice and let him go.

As soon as Joker had let him go he had, sat down on his chair as quickly as he could to get out of Jokers reach.

Englehorn had stepped up from behind holding his truncheon in a firm grip. Allman nodded to Englehorn to back off as he was fixing his tie. Then he picked up his suitcase, took out a paper and a pen placing it next to the suitcase and then closed it. "Mr.J, I think you notice that this session is going nowhere." He pushed the paper and pen from his side of the table to the Joker who was grinning. "But" Allman continued. "I will leave this paper and pen with you and I expect that reply. Good day, Mr J."

Allman moved quickly to the door.

"Good day, Doc. Don't die on me now." Joker said with a singsong voice.

Allman stiffened and looked back at the Joker who was waving with his fingers. Allman shook his head, knowing fully well from where that comment originally came from. He nodded once to Englehorn and then stepped out of the cell.

Joker chuckled lightly. He put his arms behind his head and leaned back on the chair in a relaxing mode. _"Dear Mr.J"_. He grinned and picked up the pen and starting writing on the blanc paper.

"_Dear Gloria."_

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**I've almost got the whole story planned now, but tell me what you think about it and if you have any ideas please share. **

**Now READ AND REVIEW. I'm not going to write a story nobody reviews or likes.**

**Chrisse11**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or any of it's characters.

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Chapter four

"_You wanna know something else about chaos? It's fair."_

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Mother stirred the soup in the saucepan while speaking to father. "Well, I hope this will do. Beafs and minestrone soup." She put her hands on her hips glanced rather proud of what she had brought out. Mother never really cooked for us, we often made our own food because of the different times of day that we usually came home from work and school. I couldn't even remember the last day we had sat down together as a family and eaten supper.

Father was making the table and was checking that everything was in place. I was the only one without anything chores and was telling my parents frantically that they didn't have to make this effort. Everything didn't have to be perfect to the very smallest peace of dust on the wall.

"Mother, father, it's ok. Remember Joey? He was the little boy who always spilled on the cloth when we were eating pancakes, remember? He hasn't changed that much. It's ok!"

"Rubbish." Father replied and moved the newspaper from the table. "When a friend of yours is coming that you haven't meat in –what is it, ten years – you tend to have things in order."

I had to admit that it made sense and I felt a little bad that I hadn't thought things through clear like my father had. Was I really that ignorant?

I wanted to say something more, but when I felt that nothing would come out, I decided to go up to my room and clean the most of the mess. It was best to be on the good side, just in case he for some reason wanted to see my room.

As I was cleaning my bedside table I glanced up in the mirror right above it. Just on the topside was the add I had cut out of the newspaper. I always felt a hard ball in my stomach when I looked at that news add, it was like I really wanted it. It wasn't that important, it was only a… guy… with mental instability.

Perhaps I had wanted it more because my father was a guard in Arkham. Perhaps I had though that it would be easier that way. I sighed and sat down on the bed. It had already gone a month since I had sent that letter. Nothing had come back so far.

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He couldn't sleep. He couldn't even relax. The pain in his gut was much too distracting. And everything was white. The walls where white, the suits where white, even the friggin food was white. White? Was that supposed to calm him down? How was the colour white going to help him?

Joker growled in frustration. He was lying in the bed, safety belts around his waist, his arms, his hands and around his feet. They were meant to keep him from moving out of bed all night. He tugged on the belt around his waist but regretted it the second the stinging pain came in his gut. He hissed and pressed his jaws together cursing Englehorn under his breath.

There had been a little incident that day when he had finished the letter.

**Flash Back:**

With a satisfied smirk Joker finished the letter and folded it. Then he put it in the envelope he had been given by Allman.

He smirked.

The thought that one week from now, someone was going to read the letter was amusing.

"Princess", Joker called to Englehorn.

The addressed guard looked at Joker with bloodthirsty eyes. He stepped up to the Joker and chewed his gum nonchalantly like always. "Done, Jingles?"

The patient chuckled as soon as he heard the nickname Englehorn had been calling him. Englehorn only wanted to show that he was more powerful than him and that it gave him the right to call him whatever he wanted. And in this case Englehorn choose to call him Jingles. The truth was that Englehorn felt threatened by the Joker. That was why he started acting like an ass when he was close. This only indicated that Englehorn had dominance issues and that he was weak.

"What are you laughing at psycho?" Englehorn forced the truncheon on the table again, but Joker didn't let himself react and remained indifferent to the truncheon.

"Stop right there Englehorn." A foreign voice interrupted. It was one of the other goons who decided to join the party. "It's against restriction to converse with the patients, you know that."

Englehorn scoffed at Wright, who had just spoken and nodded to the Joker. "He's not even human!"

The guard put his hand on each side of the table and bent closer to the patient. "Are you, Jingles?"

The only reply he got was a death glare.

"You know I'll have to report if something happens", Wright continued.

"Report me!" Englehorn shouted "Report him! Scum like him shouldn't even be allowed to exist."

The distressed guard lifted the truncheon close to the Jokers face, just one the side of his cheek. It didn't touch the Jokers skin, but it was close enough to annoy him. "What do you think, hugh?" Englehorn spat at him.

The patient unexpectedly closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and then his eyes flashed open. Englehorn suddenly felt discouraged, there was new energy in the Jokers eyes. Something had changed.

"I think you… should put that down, before somebody get's hurt." The voice was majestic, the command was filled so much authority that Englehorn had no other choice but to do as he said. But not without something to say. "Patient is equipped by an item that can be exercised as a weapon. Drop what your holding in your hand."

Joker glanced down at the pencil he was holding in his hand, he chuckled and firmed his grip. "And if I refuse?"

"Your playing with the devil, sociopath."

The Jokers cheek twitched. His eyes darkened and he felt how the darkness slowly floated through his veins, how it spread from his eyes to every corner of his mind. The anger started to bubble up inside of him. He was really pissed off, and had changed his mind. He didn't only wanto see Englehorn in pain; he wanted him to go through the worst kind of pain imaginable, something so painful not even the strongest man can endure. "I'm not… a sociopath…" he said with a low voice. There was no trace of amusement in his voice. "I'm not…" Joker didn't notice then that his other hand had been hugging the table leg. His knuckles where white. "Tell me, when did you start acting like a psychiatrist… Engle-horn."

There! He past the line!

Englehorn swung his truncheon back and thrust it forward aiming for Joker's shoulder. But what Englehorn hadn't counted on was that Joker would react quickly. Joker grabbed the arm that was swinging towards him, he managed to slow down the swing but the truncheon still managed to make an impact. This did though not stop Joker. He pulled the arm he was holding, closer to him so that Englehorn was forced stumbling closer, he swung his arm with the pencil and thrust the pencil into Englehorns shoulder. Then he forced his fist on the side of his jaw so that he fell on the ground.

Joker put his feet on each of the tables legs and pushed himself away. The chair hissed as it glided backwards. Joker was just about to step on Englehorns feet when Wright punched him on the back with his truncheon.

Joker hissed in pain and glared at Wright in wrath filled anger. Wright picked up his electric shocker and shot it at Joker. Meanwhile Englehorn had managed to pick himself up. Unable to use his right arm, he picked up his truncheon with his left arm and swung it with all the power he had left on to Jokers shoulder.

End of flashback

The arm wasn't broken. Joker moved the arm from under the belts and covers, it still hurt, but it was his chest and abs that had taken the worst beating. He had a hard time to breath the first hours to breath, but now it was only walking and sitting down that was the problem. Joker chuckled when he though of Englehorns face when he had made resistance. It was worth it.

"Totally worth it." Joker said with a hoarse voice before he closed his eyes to sleep.

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Knock Knock

I stiffened by the mirror in the main all when I heard the knock on the door. He's here! I hurried to put the pearl earring in my ear.

Mother came out of the kitchen and stared intensively at the door, she nodded to it as if asking if she had heard right and I nodded to confirm. My whole brain stood still, and for a second both my mother and me didn't know what to do. It had been such a long time since we had a visitor over for dinner last, it was hard to come up with everything that was needed for it. Mother nodded to the door urging me to open. I shook my head.

Knock Knock

I ran into the kitchen and decided to glance through the kitchen window at the main door. Joey was standing there with no jacket on and at that moment he was looking at his watch as if he thought he had come too early.

"Ok" I told mom. "Go into the living room and wait in there."

"Where's you father?"

I pushed mother out of the kitchen through the main hall towards the living room. "Oh, he's obviously up stairs or something. We can't get him now. Go on, in with you."

Mother gave me a smile and disappeared into the living room.

I took a deep breath and gripped the handle. _"Ok, get ready, Gloria." _

I turned the handle and opened the door. Behind it revealed to be Joey, who was currently standing with his hand in his hair and the other one behind his back. As soon as he saw me, his face lit up. His whole face, his eyes were smiling. It warmed me inside to see a friendly face like that. "Hi", he said. When he spoke I noticed that he had dimple on the side of his mouth. Why hadn't I noticed that before?

"Hello" I greeted and let him embrace me. "How are you?"

"Great" he said and stepped into the house when I gestured him to do so. That was when my mother came out of the living room smiling like a goddess.

"Josef" she said using his whole name and gave him a kiss on the cheek. I rolled my eyes.

"Hello, Mrs Walkman" Josef said politely and held forth a bouquet of flowers for her. "I want to thank you for letting me come here today."

My eyes went wide, I hadn't expected him to do such a gentlemen action. Even my mother's eyes lit up more then they had when she came out of the living room. "But, Josef you didn't have to. We're so happy that you could make it."

We heard a creak behind us, someone was coming down the stairs. "Let me see the boy." Fathers voice and heavy australian accent rumbled.

Joey turned around. "Hey, ", he smiled and walked up the older man. They greeted in a firm handshake and father thumped Joey friendly on the back. "Hello, mate."

Then Joey sought to stand by my side, without noticing it he stepped on my toe.

"So, how's the family?" father asked. "I heard your father had begun as business partner for Mr. Arkham.

"Yeah." Joey nodded and looked down at the floor for a second. Was it possible that he was nervous? He hadn't seemed the slightest nervous when he had come in.

"Yeah, dad is trying to get used to the work now. Mom's fine, she's planning on starting her own brand in baby clothes."

"Oh, is that so.", mother stated. "Maybe I could visit her sometime."

Suddenly an embarrassing silence interrupted, no one said anything for at least a minute. "Well", father finally began. "Gloria, why don't you show the boy around the house."

I gripped Joey's arm and pulled with me while I mumbled. "Wonderful idea, father."

"Your parents seem to be themselves as well" Joey stated when we had reached the top of the stairs. "I like them."

I gave him a look that told him something like: _"You have got to be kidding."_ When I opened the door to my room. "So, this is where I live." I said and gestured into the room.

Joey stepped inside and had a strange look on his face that was hard to translate. He moved to my bed and touched the pink cover with a chuckle. "Well, this definitely suits you." He turned around and blinked at me.

Then he started to admire my wall. Over the last three years I had looked in the newspaper and as soon as I had seen an add or a news add that looked peculiar I had cut it out and put it on my wall.

Joey sat down on my bad and still admired it. "You ever thought of becoming a journalist?"

I joined him. "No, not really. I just think it's interesting, that's all."

"What's that?" Joey stated surprised.

He pointed at one of the ads. It was about Batman. "The guys dressed in this weird suit!"

It wasn't until that point that I realised that Joey knew almost nothing about Gotham. He didn't know who The Joker was, and then I didn't doubt that he didn't know who Batman was.

"Oh dear", I said and felt a little uneasy. It wasn't going to be easy to tell Joey that we had our own little crime-fighting hero.

"Well", I started. "You know… Spiderman. He's a hero, but obviously a comic character."

Joey had a disordered look on his face that told me that he didn't have any idea of what I was talking about. "Well, Batman is kind of the guardian of Gotham."

He lifted his eyebrows. "You're telling me he's a superhero? That this guy actually exists today?"

I gave him a small nod.

Joey chuckled. "Yeah, whatever. Enough with the jokes."

I wanted to convince him that it was true, but I decided that it would be hard to do it, and concluded to leave it alone and let him experience it by his own self. One day some evil would lurk in Gotham, and Batman will be forced to show himself.

Joey lost interest of the wall and started to mirror himself on the bedside stand I had put up. Suddenly he saw something and removed a paper peace from the topside of the mirror. "What's this?"

It took me a second to realise what he was holding and wished that I had took that away when I had cleaned my bedroom. I sighed and snatched it from his hand.

"It's that ad about that psycho isn't it?"

I threw it into the rubbish bin. "Yes, but don't call him that. He's just mentally… unstable."

Joker raised his eyebrows. "Mentally unstable? You call that psycho mentally unstable?" He held up his hands in the height of his shoulders and started gesturing frantically. " Gloria, out of the stories I have heard from Jake and Jimmy he sounds like no mentally unstable guy. That bullshit is for people who hear voices. That's mentally unstable. That's just a complete psycho."

Then Joey realised something and stood in the way of my door. He put his arms to each side of the doorframe. He was both longer and heavier then me and I had no doubt he could take me down if I wanted to. "Gloria, you not thinking of writing to this guy are you?"

"I can't see why it has anything to do with you", I said firmly and put my hands on my hips. I backed up and sat down on my bed again.

He raised his arm and scratched his head, and put his other hand in his pocket and looked like he wanted to say something. I had seen him long enough to know that this indicated that he felt bad. "Yeah, I didn't think it like that. Sorry."

He took a step towards me. "But I'm only saying this because I care about what happens to you."

I gave him a smirk and lifted my left eyebrow. "Your starting to sound like my mother, that's not a good sign."

Joey grinned innocently and sat down beside me. "Well, I guess Jimmy's gut was telling him the truth. You really are up to something."

Suddenly I got an urge to tell him that I had already done the deed, but then I decided to tell that another time when it fitted. Well, that time would obviously never come.

I took my blue pillow and hugged it while Joey spoke. "Well, Gloria. Seriously. Have you already written to him?"

I guess the time to tell him was now after all. _"Invisibility power, please work." _I thought desperately. I bit my lip and looked pleadingly at Joey who's smile only widened. "Oh, no you didn't! When?"

"At least before I met you here." I mumbled and shrugged my shoulder once. "I honestly don't think I'll get an answer."

"What makes you so sure."

Suddenly I felt a little better now that Joey knew, I hadn't known that it would be good for me to share the burden. I fell backwards down the bed and hugged the pillow. "I just… know."

Joey chuckled. "You know you're lucky that Jimmy wasn't here."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, he would have been in the I-told-you-so mode. I mean, he really did tell you so."

I chuckled and shook my head. "Jimmy's harmless."

He looked back at me and turned a little. "What was that Jimmy said? Oh, yeah." He cleared his throat and said with the most fake English accent I had ever heard in my whole life: "I know you're up to something Miss England."

I laughed and threw my pillow at him. "Your such a looser, Josef R Briggs."

"Then I'm a happy looser, Gloria Walkman."

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Three days later

"Holy shit!" Jimmy said as soon as he came up to our table at lunch. He wasn't the kind of guy that was late and we all were a little worried, and when he came up to us upset our worry deepened for him.

"What's wrong, Joey?"

He put down his tray and sat down before he bent forward to us. Everyone bent forward and listened intently, well except for Jake.

"Well, you all know that I live just a couple of blocks from Arkham. I was out with some friends and we was on our way to the movies and the fastest way was past Arkham."

He swallowed and pulled in his chair. "We saw an ambulance car by the gates."

Jake scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Whoo scary story Jimmy."

He didn't care about Jake and continued. "That's not all. There were security standing by the gates trying to get some people out of the way, and we went to one of the old men standing close by. He told us it was something about a girl raped and murdered right inside of Arkham."

He took a fry and put it in his mouth. "Isn't that creepy?"

Tia frowned. "Maybe it was just a patient, Jimmy."

Jimmy chuckled. "Oh yeah, there was a truck inside the gates as well, it said GCPD on the truck. If they show up, it's something serious. "

This time Jake was listening. "Are you sure it was a girl raped? How did she get in there?"

"Maybe she was working in there… " I stated.

Joey nodded. " I haven't heard anything from dad."

I frowned and thought of the yesterday night. Dad had come home a little later than usual, but I decided to leave that out. It was dangerous to speak about it. "I haven't heard anything either."

"Your dad has the nightshifts, right?"

I nodded to Alma.

"Make him say something" Alma continued enthusiastically. "Force it out of him, take forth the journalist deep inside of you and use the talents you have."

I opened my mouth. "Yes, thank you for the advice Alma."

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Later that day when we was going to get our things out of our lockers Joey came forth to me. "Gloria" he said and looked around himself unobtrusively. He leaned his hand on the locker right beside mine. "I didn't say this at lunch, but it's because I don't want the others to think ill of my dad but when he came home yesterday he seemed secretive. He didn't want mom to bring him food in his office, he didn't even say hi when he came in. He just took with him his suitcase and staid in that office. When I knocked on his door he told me to go away. I think he knows something."

I listened intensively. "It's almost the same thing with my dad a well. He came home later than usual and he had nothing to say."

I pulled out my bag and my coat. "Do you think something actually happened?", I asked and closed my locker.

"I don't know", Joey said as we started walking down the hall." But I was going to ask you to keep your ears open. Whatever the press says we need to be critical."

I nodded. There was actually something going on inside Arkham. It couldn't be a patient could it? Could a patient actually be loose? Had they caught the guy yet?

All kinds of questions bubbled up inside of us both, but the questions remained unanswered that day.

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"I'm home" I called when I stepped into the house.

No answer of course. They were never at home at that time.

I stepped further into the house but heard how something cracked on the floor, almost like paper. I looked down and saw three letters on the floor.

"_Bills, most probably"__**, **_I thought as I looked through them. But something on the address made me stop on one of the bills. It was addressed to me. I never get letters.

My eyes widened when I saw who the sender was. It said Arkham Asylum.

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I think I've got the next chapter in my head and I will try to write it as good as I can.

Now remember to read and review. It's very important for me, but thank you any way for giving me this chance.

Until next time

Chrisse11


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Batman The Dark Night or any of its characters.

-

Chapter five

"One thing about being on top of the world, it gives you a long, long way to fall"

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My heart thumped faster than it had ever thumped before. I found it hard to breath and my whole body was shaking with excitement, which caused the letter I was holding shake as well. All kinds of feelings were going through me over those minutes. I felt joy, excitement, fear… everything at the same time. My other hand was over my mouth, resting there as if seeking comfort.

It couldn't be right. But there my name was, my name. I closed my eyes and shook my head. If I was still sleeping I knew that the second I had counted to five, the letter would be gone or replaced by some other name.

1…

2…

3…

4…

I started opening my left eye.

5!

My eyes flashed open, but the name that belonged to me still remained.

I shook my head and laughed at myself. Then I stuck my finger into the opening and started to rip it up, but then I stopped when I heard the voice of a woman calling my name.

"Gloria!" It was mom, it had to be mom.

I was about to answer when I smirked confidently, I could just pretend like I wasn't there and keep quiet. I chuckled and continued opening the letter.

"Gloria Walkman, I know your there! You left your bag and coat in the hall, would you please pick them up."

Gloria sighed and put down the letter. Why hadn't she just brought up her things when she had ran up her room?! "Yes, mother." I said and opened the door.

Mother had a satisfied look on her face when I came down from the stairs. She held out my bag and coat in each arm. "Why were you in such a hurry?"

"Hurry? I just forgot them. I'm sorry."

I mumbled thanks when I had them and started to walk up the stairs again. "You know, that boy Josef. You should invite him over again."

I looked down at mother and half laughed when I was spoke. "Do you honestly think I would deliberately go through an embarrassment like that ever again?"

Mother waved my comment away and pulled the vacuum cleaner out of the closet. "But I think he was a sweet boy. He seemed like he liked it here." She said and triggered the vacuum.

After that we didn't speak anymore. I went up my room and threw the bag and coat on my bed, I didn't know why I hurried, but I felt like I had to look at it as fast as I could.

I pulled the letter out of the envelope and looked at the first words.

_Deeeeeeeaar __**G**__eee-loria_

I opened my mouth in surprise.

"_Oh, my goodness."_

Then I could hear some kind of peeping sound erupt from my bed, but the sound was suffocated. I threw away my coat and pulled my cell phone from inside my bag. I sighed and pressed the green button and put the cell to my ear.

"Yes?"

"Hey, Gloria. It's me…"

"_Joey, you never say things at the right time, do you?" _I thought.

"Hi, Joey" I said and seated myself on the bed. "What's going on over there, then?"

I heard how Joey swallowed from the other side of the line. "Well" he began. "I was going to ask you if you wanted to come over."

I giggled a little and bit my lip. "Well, I think that would be nice. I'm sure my parents won't mind. So, what are we going to do?"

"Uh.. you know that suitcase I was talking about?"

"You mean the one your father came home with?"

"Yeah, he's at work and he has left it at home. I was wondering if you wanted to.. you know."

I raised my eyebrows. "You wondered if I wanted to come over and sneak in yours fathers things?"

I heard how he cleared his throat. "Uh… ya. Something like that."

"Of course I wanto check it out. Who do you take me for anyway? I'll come as soon as I can."

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I pushed the bell button to the great mansion I was standing outside. The whole sight blew me away. The building was white and looked like it was 3 stories high, the garden was filled with flowers and trees that made it look like a park. I didn't understand why Joey hadn't told me about this earlier.

Joey opened the door; I only managed to open my mouth before he pulled me inside. "Quickly", he said. "My mother doesn't know that you're here."

"What? But I thought- " He put his hand over my mouth and took my hand with the other. "C'mon, up to my room."

He pulled me with him and ran across the marmour floor to the beautiful mahogany stairs. I stared all over the lobby. It was amazing. It looked like the family had lived there in ages. There were pictures of them everywhere. Every sculpture, every frame, table, flower was placed in the exact right place. Were they millionaires?

"Joey, if your folks are planning on moving from this place I will personally make sure that-"

"Shhhh." He put his hand over my mouth again and pulled me close to him. He backed up to the wall and pointed to the door that was closest to the beginning of the stairs.

A Latino woman stepped out of the room pulling a cart with cleaning items on. Luckily she didn't see us and continued to the next room.

I pushed him away when the cost was clear. "What were you thinking?" I asked him.

"Hey, I don't usually bring friends home so I don't want any complications. C'mon."

He pushed me into his room and locked the door behind him.

His room was the only thing that looked closest to a normal. His bed was in the middle of the room, and his table was messy with paper and books. His bag was thrown on the floor, just like a normal lazy day.

"Neat." I said and nodded.

He shrugged his shoulders. "It's home so far."

He nonchalantly sat down on the bed and thumped on a suitcase beside him. "Take a look at this, hugh?"

I blinked a few times. That was the suitcase he was talking about. I had imagined it would be a suitcase with a lock so that it would be close to impossible to get inside of it without the key. But this suitcase was just a regular black case with no lock, it only had golden initials of Joeys father. "You ready?"

I nodded and gave him half a smile. For a second I felt a little sceptical over the idea, but I shook the feeling off and helped him open the suitcase. Joey flipped over the lid and revealed a number closer to 30 brown papers piled on each other.

I realised as I picked one up that they were files. On the brown hard paper I was a tag where it said: _Wright, Wellington_

Inside the file was a picture of the addressed man and there was a list of information of him.

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_Name:Wright, Wellington_

_Gender:Male/ Afro American_

_Age:37_

_Status:Arkham-employee, Guard _

_Current workstation:Corridor K, Cell 39_

_Civil status:Married, children. _

Criminal record:None

_Partner/Wife/Husband:Wright, Connie_

_Children: Wright, Courtney. Wright, Brad. Wright._

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I blinked a few times. Wright was one of the guards in Arkham.

I threw put the file in the suitcase again and grabbed the next one, this time the name of the persons file was Englehorn.

"_German?"_ I thought and opened the file. Yes, this man had sharp lines in his face; his eyes were deeper in his skull than most people, this cast a shadow over his eyes and made him look melancholy dangerous.

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_Name:Englehorn, Lloyd, James. _

_Gender:Male/ Cohesion_

_Age:32_

_Status:Arkham-employee, Guard_

_Current workstation:Corridor K, Cell 39_

_Civil Status: Married/ (Divorced)_

_Criminal record:Physical Abuse_

_Partner/Wife/Husband:None_

_Children:None_

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"Hey" I said and pushed Joey on the arm. "Take a look at this. He is a guard in Arkham and he has a criminal record, can they allow that?"

Joey took a look at the file with a frown on his face.

Over all the years I had spent with my father I had learned a lot from him about guarding and about the criminal records, it was common that if you have a spot in the police records your chances to get a job out in the world are close to zero. It made me confused that they would employ someone that had physically abused someone. It didn't make sense.

"That is weird." Joey said. "He looks kind of dangerous."

I frowned and decided to put it aside, I picked up another file.

Joey gave out a sigh of disappointment. "This was more boring than I had anticipated." He grunted and fell lazily on his bed. "They all just look the same! It's boring. It's just guards."

I sighed as well and hid my face in my hands in defeat. Joey was right, they all looked just about the same, except for that German. He was a question mark.

Suddenly it flashed in me and I realised something. I didn't at that time think that it was important, I just realised something that was very obvious just by looking at their files.

"The same!" I half shouted and looked optimistically at Joey, who now wondered what I was up to. "Don't you see…" I opened one of the files and read out loud.

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Name:Wright, Wellington Current workstation:Corridor K, Cell 39

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I threw it down and dove for the next one.

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_Name:Gates, Michael_

_Current workstation:Corridor K_

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The next one.

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_Name:Jacobs, Anthony, Mark_

_Current:Corridor K, Cell 39_

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"Don't you see?" I shriek as silent as I could. "Every guard here is guarding Cell 39, or Corridore K which is where Cell 39 lies. Everyone is guarding one thing!"

"Or one person", Joey stated. "But I don't understand what this has to do with the rape…"

I gathered the files and piled them up in a nice collection. "Me neither." I held up my finger to Joey in a knowing gesture. "But what you should ask yourself, Joey is why your father have all these with him home?"

Joey's eyes lingered in mine in for a couple of seconds; they looked impressed and agitated at the same time. Then he turned to stare at the wall - he knew he was thinking, perhaps considering what I had said. – For a second I thought he looked unhappy.

My under lip trembled for a second, it felt like it was my fault, and I decided to close the suitcase so that we could leave it behind for a second. "Do you feel hungry?" I asked and tried to smile naturally.

"I think I know who their guarding."

I tilted my head to the side and tried to interpret his new face expression. It was now confident, but it still had a soft and humble tone in it. It was hard not to wonder who he was thinking of, curiosity was one of my biggest weaknesses. "Who?" I asked playfully and gave him a smile when he looked at me again.

"That celebrity of yours. That's what their guarding, right?"

Honestly I was shocked that he said it. I shouldn't have been, because later on I knew that I had already known that it _was_ him inside Cell 39, but I hadn't admitted it to myself. I lowered my hand to my pocket where the letter was safely hidden. Suddenly I thought about showing it too him even though I hadn't read it myself. It was only fair since Joey had shared the suitcase with me. But then again, letters are private if you wish them to be.

I took my hand from my pocket and tugged in a file that had slipped out of the suitcase and then closed the suitcase properly. "I wouldn't know of that." I stated to Joey. "Now, Joey, your guest is turning rather hungry. Don't you think you should… offer something?" I smiled at him playfully.

He took the bate and nodded, standing up from the now messy bed. "Yeah I guess so. I'm a bit hungry myself. What do you want? Bacon and egg?"

He picked up the phone in his room. I hadn't noticed that he had a phone! Even I didn't have a phone in my room.

"Hey, George, yeah could you bring up some bacon and egg to my room? Yeah, it would be great if it would be like… now. Yeah thanks."

He put down the phone in its cradle again and looked at me with a proud smile. _A butler_ I thought. _They have a butler._

"Butler?" I asked.

"Ya." He said and started drumming on the suitcase nonchalantly.

"You are rich, have one of the nicest houses in Gotham except for Wayne and you have your own butler? When were you planning on telling me all this?"

Joey chuckled and leaned his head on his hand. "Gloria… this… it's just money. It doesn't mean anything to me."

I snorted and smiled at the same time. "So you think you can get of the hook that way, hugh?"

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Lieutenant Gordon knocked on the door to the autopsy room in the Police station basement.

A small, old and chubby man with glasses opened the door for the Lieutenant with a smirk. "Gordon" he said and let him in to the cold cell like room. "Your right on time, I was just about to send you a memo."

Gordon walked over to the body of the woman that was spread out on the autopsy board. The light was shining on her pale face. The eyelids where dark and swollen and her mouth was opened, but the lips where as blue as blueberries. She had once been a beautiful woman.

"Any news then, Graham?" Gordon asked and pushed his glasses up his nose.

"Oh, sir." Graham said and walked over to the other side of the board and he pointed to the dead woman's throat. "As you can by the blue and red marks on her throat she was strangled which is the cause of death."

He held up one of her still tense fingers that almost where bent together in a fist. "You see here are signs of resistance, her killer raped her before he killed her. Or perhaps he did it at the same time…"

Gordon put his hands in his pockets "Is there any clear sign that she was raped?"

"Yes", Graham said and moved the light to her lower body.

"No" Gordon said and removed the light. "I don't have to see it, Graham."

The old man chuckled and removed the light. "Well, I have found damaged tissues inside of her and it's not common under regular-"

"Yes." Gordon said and tried to skip that part. "Any lead to the killer?"

Graham frowned. "Well, I found no body fluids inside of her, which only means he was interrupted, he could have hardly used a con-." Graham stopped himself when he saw the look on Grahams face.

"Ah, yes!" he hurried to her side again and lifted her hands. "But I found some skin under her nails. I'll give that to Rose as soon as I can."

Gordon nodded. "Thank you. Good work, Graham."

"Pleasure, Gordon."

Gordon stepped out of the cell and left Graham alone with the corps. Graham returned to the dead woman and shook his head. "That Lieutenant seems really shy."

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I closed the door to my room and gave out a relieved sigh when I finally could have some time for myself.

I put down a cup of Captain Sugar with milk on my table and sat down slowly. I knew that this was it.

I pulled the letter out of my pocket and opened it. The atmosphere around me suddenly changed, everything turned darker and even though my window was open and it was a beautiful day outside the darkness seemed to consume my room. Everything went colder and it felt almost terrible. But I knew I wanted to read the letter no matter what happened to me, it was mine! I started reading and didn't stop until I was done.

_Deeeeeeeaar __**G**__eee-loria_

_My, my there I was sitting all alone in my cell – as usual-eh – and I w__**on**__dered if any of yooou__**p**__**eo**__ple, you idiots read the add._

_One might think that the government would keep a crazy man in the dumb house for as long as they can.__**HA**__..__n__**o**__,nononononono__… __they have to write something in the newspaper add. After all, it's interesting to see how people react._

_Now why would they do that do you think… Guh-looria?_

_O__**H**__ Looki heeere, __y__ou are the lucky winner. You know what you won? You'll see sweetheart. In time you'll __**see**__._

I'm going to tell you how the world really looks today.

_The higher commands such as the Government have spent their entire life as a so-called "__**civil**__isation" trying to get rid people like __**me**__. _

_They call us__crim__in__**als**__, __mobs,__mur__dere__rs…. and __**crazy**__._

_But there you have one thing, there's a diff-R-ence between me and the man with the perfect family and perfect job. _

_I'm the one that's been __**anal**__ysed as a sociopath.__But do you know why?_

_It's because I'm not doing what the government wants me to do. _

_I hope you understand where I'm trying to get. I'm not the real criminal.__It's __**yo**__u who are the real criminals in this world, __**G**__loria.__I'm just a guy that likes to be in the highlight. I just ….. __**Do**__ things……… _

_You wanted to know what it's like being insane? It's nothing like this. The only sensible way to live in this world is without rules! In complete chaos. It's where s__**laughter**__ rules. _

_The truth is, I'm not the crazy one. I just see things from another point of view. _

_Well, kiddo. Ya got hell of a balls, I'll give ya that much. _

_Haha__**HA**__**…**__ …… ya might wonderer why I know you're a kid. One word – i__**nstinc**__t. _

_Only a little kid would be stupid enough to do this, don't you ag__**ree**__? _

_**C**__'mon, get a g__**rip**__!!__**!**__ Even I wouldn't write to myself. _

_**Bat**__man?_

_The guy's sc__**aaaar**__ed. Why else would he hide his identity s__ooo__ intensively? Besides, he's the only one who realised what the world really looks like. We spend our lives thinking were the good guys and then at last we realise that it is __**we**__ who are the bad ones. Nobody panics when the expected people get killed. Nobody panics when things go according to __**plan**__, even if the plans are horrifying. _

_Time to wake up kid. Welcome to the w__o__rld. Try to survive it. _

_**Engl-e**__and The Clown- __**Horn **_

_Than__**x**__ for the letter by the way. _

_Have a nice F__**REAKIN**__G day. _

_Mr.__**J**_

No words could explain what I was feeling at that moment. I stared out the window, not on something particular, I stared out… just because…

I took a spoon of Captain Sugar in my mouth and started chewing; the flavour floated around in my mouth and stimulated my taste buds. I loved Captain Sugar. Bet let me tell you this peculiar thing, as I was eating at that moment the truth was that I no longer could taste, and I could no longer see. For a moment too, it was like I couldn't even feel. My brain was just telling me that Captain Sugar serial tasted good, and it was telling me that there was something blue outside. Suddenly I started giggling and spilled some milk on the letter from The Joker.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: You have heard this so many time already and you will keep hearing it. I do not own Batman or any of its characters; I just borrow them for the time being**

**Ok first of all I just want to thank everyone who has reviewed, they really are lifesavers, but I would wish for more ones. And I need CRITICS people, tell me what is bad, give me constructive critics that I can use to make this story better. Even flames if you wish, but I'd mostly prefer critics that are friendly that I can take in and use to write the story in a better way. Make me feel like I owe you, c'mon guys. I know you can better, and I know I can as well. **

**But still you guys are amazing; I don't know what I'd do without you. So review!!! 3 3 it really helps**

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Chapter six

"Political correctness is tyranny with manners." Charlton Heston

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"_I'm the one that's been __**anal**__ysed as a sociopath. But do you know why? _

_It's because I'm not doing what the government wants me to do."_

I blinked a few times and read the quote over and over again, in hope that I would come to understand it, but the more I read it, the more confused I seemed to become. There was nothing that made sense in the quote.

"_But there you have one thing, there's a diff-R-ence between me and the man with the perfect family and perfect job. _

_I'm the one that's been __**anal**__ysed as a sociopath."_

There is a difference between the regular and normal civil man and him? It didn't make any sense at all.

I was on the verge of giving up, even though I knew that somehow this was fate everything felt like a pitch black hole that I would never be able to get myself out of. I knew that somehow I wanted to be able to understand him, to look at him and understand what he did, and why he did it. Somehow I wanted to be able to think like him, almost like visiting his world, visiting his mind. But there were some consequences with this, even though I managed to visit his thoughts and use it as my own, would I be able to get out of it and return to myself? Would I be able to move on, because what was driving me was obviously curiosity and once I found out what I wanted to know, would I be satisfied with that? Somewhere deep inside of me something craved him, almost like a vampire to blood. Something inside of me wanted to know. But what? What did I want to know exactly?

I looked one last time on the letter and then I put it in its envelope and threw it in my bag.

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Clap

…

Clap

…

Clap

…

The cell was filled with a melancholic chuckle from the hunched form in the corner of the cell. His hands clapped together making the sound echo between the walls, and then he let them fall to his sides and continued to stare at the frightened guard, who had brought his food. If it even was worth such address. Joker moved his tongue to the side of his mouth making a liquid sound and blinked slowly at the guard. It would have been smart to just walk away and leave Joker alone, but the guard who obviously was a beginner continued to stare at the insane criminal.

"Brave, brave… brave young boy?" Joker said slowly with a dark voice and ended the sentence with a little tone raiser proving that it was a question.

The young man frowned while pushing the tray with food inside of the cell. It was nothing strange with not understanding what the Joker said. At times he could just start talking rubbish with a guard about his scars and then about his ex girlfriends and each time he always told them different stories.

When the guard didn't answer Joker stood up – now free with no chains or shackles due to the smaller cell - moved to the bars. He stopped right in front of the wide-eyed guard. Oh yes, definitely a new beginner. The corner of Joker's mouth quirked up. "You… are…." He pointed to the guard.

Then he took up the tray of food. "- Annoying me." He finished and decided to let him of the hook. He turned around and went back to his spot.

But the guard still stood steadfast just as surprised and overwhelmed as he had been before.

"What's the matter kid? Paraly-ze-d?"

Finally the guard came back to presence and left.

Joker sighed a soundly and it echoed in his cell, the cell he was going to be stuck in for the next days. Due to his little outburst with Englehorn, visiting the canteen or receiving any visitors was out of question. Not that he ever got any visitors anyway.

He looked down at his food and a memory from his first day on his second stay in Arkham in the canteen started to creep up in his head. The environment of the canteen for the patients was a place where crime was hardly manageable. No one could do any mischiefs at all! Everything was boring. Boring, blunt and unbearably sorted in perfect order. But most of all everything was just plastic! The chair was plastic, the table was plastic, the tray was plastic, and the spoon was plastic! Even the freaking food was plastic! Or so it tasted.

The whole thing, the theatrical moves about fixing the patients, making everyone better, and helping every patient to live a normal human beings life – it was all just a very bad joke. No one was going to leave Arkham "fixed", no one had ever left Arkham in a right state of mind or mental health. Not for thirty years! The idea of Arkham is keeping the real people – so called crazy men - from the people who take orders from the real criminals. ….it was a bad joke. BAD JOKE!

He threw the food on the wall and grunted in fury, and then suddenly he started to giggle like a small child which increased into a full fledged insane hysterical laugh. Bi-polar issues.

Flash Back

Joker looked with a very grim look at the guard who was holding his arm in a very firm grip, he was forcing him forward. Playfully he resisted the tugs and stood steadfast on his spot. The guard sighed and stopped to turn to him. "We don't have time for this K39."

_K39?_

Very quickly he figured out that it was either the number on his cell or it was what they enrolled him as. Just like a ticket into the movies.

"Time?" Joker snorted. "Time's overrated."

The guard didn't answer and continued forward in the much too narrow corridor. Joker didn't know where he was taking him, but he couldn't care less. Wherever it was, he sure hoped it was… blond, had long legs, blue eyes, tanned skin and two very big, big… Well, almost like a Swede-girl.

"Do you know something? You got aaaaaall your life, and so do I. If you want to talk about time, you got to be a dragonfly. Now that's when you better start worrying about a **dead**line." He started to laugh at his own joke, and he glanced at the guard to see if he was affected but he remained silent and assertive.

With nothing to do he started to whistle and looked playfully around the corridor they were going through as if he had never seen it before. The colour was white. He frowned. Didn't they ever repaint the place? The colour was starting to wear off.

"Hey, jumbo." He tried to look back at the guard. "Could you do me a favour?"

The guard glanced at him once. The corners of Jokers mouth quirked up. "Well, my nose is kind of itching." The guards arm froze and he started to study the scared face that was turned to him. It was still covered with army paint, but it was starting to wear out that as well, not just the old walls in Arkham. The black paint around his eyes, which made his iris glow more than natural was smeared up all over his face and small traces of the colour escaped down his cheeks and met the red colour forming the ghoulish smile. The only place that wasn't covered with paint was his throat.

For a second it looked like the guard was going to oblige him, but then he tugged Joker harder on the arm. Joker felt the wave of pain surge through his body with a shiver. He shook his head due to the shiver and chuckled. "Woo…"

He tried to glimpse any expression on the guards face, still nothing.

They arrived at a glass door and through it Joker could see a big hall of tables where orange clothed woman and men where eating. There was a great queue lined up to the food carriages. Joker leaned forward and looked intensively through the glass. "Hello…"

The guard shoved him away roughly and started to open the door with his keys. "Now, I don't want you to get into any trouble K39. Cuz if you do, you'll be suspended from the canteen and you know that."

Joker rolled his eyes at the guard, and continued to look through the glass. "Home sweet home."

Just as the glass door opened the sound of mumbling and clanging from within the kitchen reached Jokers ears for the first time in months. The guard pushed him inside and closed the glass door behind him. The keys scrambled but Joker was too concentrated on the new environment. They had changed it since he had been there last. The walls had a different colour. They were… grey. Sky grey. But that was not the only thing; many new faces had showed up.

Like it was something he had done every morning, he naturally trotted to the shorter queue and waited for his turn, but not without earning some glances from the rest of the patients. Joker grabbed a tray and stepped infront of a fat lady who worked behind one of the food carriages. She gave him a grim glance while chewing her gum. "What do you want?"

Joker looked down at the food. Well, everything in the canteen had changed except the forsaken food. He glanced up again and lifted an eyebrow. "Surprise me."

The fat lady took his tray and put a plate on it, then she filled the plate with a pink sludge, catpuke pink, then she handed it back with a crocked smile. "Surprise."

With no other word he took his tray back and started to find a place to eat. Eyes to turned to the new patient in the canteen; no one had seen anything like him before. Yet it was common that criminals made signs on their faces or somewhere else on their bodies, sings like scars or tattoos to make themselves look intimidating but no one had ever took it to the extreme like Joker had. Some of the men decided that it was best not to look and turned back to their food instead.

Just as Joker passed a table with a large muscled man and a man with tanned skin and long black hair in a ponytail. The man with the ponytail stood up. "Hey, clown!"

He caught Jokers attention successfully. The man nodded down to their table. "Come here so we can talk to you." Without any protest Joker stationed himself beside the muscled man. The muscled man turned his head to Joker and stared at him with rage filled eyes. "Do I owe you something, clown?"

Joker chuckled at him.

The muscled man was balled and on his forehead was the christian sign of a cross.

"Hey, hey! Hans, give it a rest. It's the new guy…" the man with the pony tail protested.

Joker gave Hans a faint smile and made a small point with his finger to the man who had spoken making a point. Then he picked up his spoon.

"You're the one they call Joker, hugh?" the black haired man said while eating some green sludge from his plate, still staring at Joker.

The addressed man turned his attention to the man who spoke. He looked tanned, possibly native American.

"Likewise… and who are you?" Joker picked up his spoon to shove it into the plate but as he did it broke in two, causing the red head beside the native American to laugh hard. The red head started to thump the table. "Something funny, redhead?"

The native American held the red heads hand down. "No, no, no Brody. They'll only come and take you away if you bring too much attention to yourself."

Joker drew the shaft of the spoon through his green hair and nodded to the native american. "So how long have you been doing, Mr… "

"George. I've been here about eight days."

Joker lifted his eyebrows. "Charged for?"

"None of your business."

He chuckled and clapped his hands a couple of times, then he turned to the person named Hans. "How bout you little chump? How long?"

The look Hans was giving the clown could have burnt a hole through him. "Five days clown."

Joker made a sound that sounded something between a scoff and a chuckle, the main point that it sounded load and it drew attention to their table. Joker bent forward laughing, thrust himself back and gave the table a hard thump. "Five days? Haa haha! Five days and your already building therapy groups? Now aren't you pathetic?"

Hans's cheek twitched, he raised his enormous arm and thrust it down on Jokers making it stop, however it didn't stop Jokers laughing. In fact it increased it.

"You guys are killing me! Haa haha!"

"Is there a problem here?"

The laughing started to wear of but he was still chuckling when he turned around to face the guard who had approached them. He had already known that the authorities of Arkham had approached the table, but even so his eyes darkened and he his laugh faded completely. He settled with giving the guard a death glare and the people sitting around the table could have sworn they heard a deep rumble, perhaps a growl coming from deep within his chest.

Hans dropped his spoon and surprisingly started to act like an angel. "No, sir. " he said with respect in his voice, he didn't even have the guts to look up in the guards eyes. _Kiss ass_, Joker thought while giving Hans a grim look. Then he looked back into the guards eyes, blinking hard once and licking his lips. "Yes?" he said with a low hoarse voice.

There was a silent war between them, both of them wanted to show who was in charge without using words. Finally Joker opened his mouth. "Ah… why don't you…" he glanced at the guards name tag. "Mervin…?" he started laughing. "You parents named you Mervin? Well… why don't you run along and continue with…" he glanced at the rest of the guards who were now concentrated on the scene. "Whatever it was you were doing."

The man's jaws clenched together, his temper was starting to rise. He wasn't the type that tolerated such things from patients. "Sir-" the guard started of and you could hear a clear clang in his voice that indicated that he was trying to control himself.

"Ya know!" Joker began and cut him off. He stepped up from the table and put his hand on the guards shoulder, circled him slowly. "What if things were different." He put both hands on the guards shoulders from behind and leaned forward on one side of his head. "What if I was you, and you was me!" He started crackling insanely while stating: "That would be hilarious!"

He moved quickly to the other side of the guard while laughing hysterically. "I mean, everyone would be scratching my balls, even you and not just that guy." He pointed at Hans.

Hans hugged the side of the table with his fingers, his knuckles were turning white and you could see the muscles swollen up, and the veins started to pop out. His face was tense and his jaws clenched together. "Your dead clown. I'm gonna kill you."

Joker was still laughing, he bent forward crackling up in more hysterical waves of humour. He looked up at the guard making a point. "You see! The guys practically fuming out of his ears right now, just because he has no idea of what I'm capable of. But if I was in your position…. Hahaha… his whole mouth would practically be brown!" The only one who seemed to take pleasure in the joke was the Joker himself, Hans however stood up now truly insanely mad.

"I'm going to kill you!" he screamed who rushed over to punch the Joker, but he just stepped out of the way still laughing.

"You know whats wrong with you, big guy." Joker said and jumped alert out of the way of Hans fuming attempts to punch. "You're not smiling!"

Hans was incredibly well built, especially his upper body, but his enormous strength made him slower and heavier which gave the Joker an advantage. The Joker stepped up from behind Hans and kicked playfully on his behind while giggling childishly. Hans screamed and turned around practically throwing out his arms trying to grip the Joker around his throat but his attempts were futile. Joker slipped out of reach laughing like it was a simple game. "You should always smile! Like me!"

Hans grew more frustrated, and Joker took advantage of this and backed up to a table and stopped when he felt the edge on his back.

Hans was pushing up his sleeves and shaking his head at the Joke, closing in on him. "You should have held your mouth, clown. Now I'm going to have to make you pay."

"Now, now Hans. Violence doesn't solve anything."

Hans reached forward and thrust his arm out to Joker, swinged it from the air downwards to met Jokers head, but Joker moved out of the way in the last minute and just as Hans fisted hand met the table, Joker thrust his elbow down on the arm and earned a big crack sound. Joker bent forward to the paralysed man, who's eyes were now wide open. His brain had obviously not registered the pain yet.

Joker snapped with his words into Hans ear, bringing Hans fear up." So where's that smile?" Then he held out something in his hand, it was the broken spoon, he thrust it into Hans throat and left it there. Then he stepped out of the way to let the dying Hans fall down to the floor while he himself was crackling loudly. By now the guards had come forward and hit Joker with their truncheons and made him fall down. Then they dragged him out of the canteen, but the sounds of his insane laugh still echoed between the walls.

End of flashback

First impression was always important. Nothing in the whole world was more important than the first impression. It was just like a jobs interview. You may be a great guy, always on time, never lazy and a hard worker. But if you step into that interview late and stumble over your sentences and tab after tab turns up, the employer's already decided who you are and what you prioritise. It doesn't matter what individual you claim you are afterwards. First impression is power.

The same was for Arkham. There was no point of giving people any hint that they have the ability to control him like a puppet. It's the same principle as the hard-to-get theory.

He started chuckling again, slow and quiet vibes came from within his chest. They increased after a few seconds, and he leaned back on the uncomfortable wall, killing the chuckles. Everything returned to silence again.

He sighed in a faint satisfaction, and he put his right leg over his left, whistling as he did it. Then he started to wave something he was holding in his hand, and a smile grew on his face as his ears registered the rattling sound that came from the keys. New guards always forget to pay attention. It was too easy. But he knew that things would turn more interesting. Once he was outside the walls, that is.

He stood up, waltzed as natural as can be to the bars, reached his arms down to the lock, still whistling. But then he stopped for a second when he heard the satisfying click of freedom, the door opened with a squeak.

Still without overreacting over the sudden taste of free ground, and sudden chance to escape the damn white colour.

He continued down the corridor while waving with the keys. "Mea_t_ is murder…. Tasty, tasty murder." He mumbled.

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"Self biography", Theodore read out loud while drumming with his fingers on the school bench at the end of the class. "What the…"

Our teacher Mr.H turned around to us, revealing his young face to us. He was the youngest of all the teachers in our high school, and my personal favourite as well. Well, I know how that sounds but I had no emotional… whatever. Anyway, he had planned a different assignment for us than we usually received from him. H stands for Halo, and we felt a little awkward as a class to keep yelling Halo after him so we decided that Mr.H would do.

H pointed his finger at Theodore. "That's right. So can anyone tell me what it is?"

He turned around to the blackboard and put a long line under the headline, he knew me too well as a teacher to know that my hand was raised. He didn't even look up when he said "Yes, Gloria."

I lowered my arm proudly and spoke. "A self biography is a literature where the author gives an account of their life."

H nodded. "Correct." He moved around his desk and sat down, right in front of the people who's school benches where just in the front of the class. His eyes moved over the whole room to meet each eye that was looking at him. "Now can you guess what I have in store for you?" By that mere comment Jake snorted and put on his ipod, while shaking his head.

"But H" Theodore said. "You're not expecting us to write our whole life in a couple of classes?" In response H started to chuckle and he stood up waving with the crayon in his hand. "No, Theodore. Not you're whole life."

He wrote something on the blackboard again while practically shouting out so that every one of us in the small classroom could hear him. "I want you to write about a fraction in your life, it doesn't matter what it is. I just want it to be good."

"So…." Jimmy said and put his hands together while looking up at H who was nearing him. "I can write about me eating egg and bacon this morning on...what is it… 32 pages?" After his comment, which was a success, made the rest of the class erupt in laughter. Jimmy leaned back on his chair, putting his hands behind his back and had a very self-pleased look on his face.

"No, no, Jimmy. Not… exactly. But if you can execute every feeling you felt at that short moment on 32 pages even I shall be impressed." Again the whole class started to crackle, Jake bent forward from behind Jimmy and smacked him on the head while H was moving back towards the blackboard, giving Jake a smack on the head as well. "I want you to put in every feeling you felt at the very specific moment you choose in your words. I want the text to be able to make the readers fall in the same state. If it's sad, make me on the verge of crying. If it's anger, wrath… make me the same."

He turned to Jimmy when he was at the blackboard again. "Do, that Jimmy and I will give you the higher grades."

The whole class was enchanted by the words from their teacher, it was like the atmosphere in the room was concentrating fully on the lesson. Usually it was something that was disturbing, like someone chatting, or an ipod. But now, not even Jake had his ipod rolling.

But then I found the concentration of the class disturbed and broken by the chiming of the school bell. It was the sound of freedom.

"Decide what topic you want to write about till next week! And don't forget that it must be something you can use. I'll see you tomorrow!" he practically yelled so that all of us could hear, over the screeching chairs, mumbling and all the crumpling of papers.

I on the other hand didn't hurry. I collected my things In peace and stepped in front of our teacher who was gathering his things as well. "Excuse me H," I said. He looked up at me and smiled. "Yes, Gloria?"

I put down my things on the desk and tilted my head to the side. "Does the topic have to be real?" I shrugged my shoulders. "Because my life is pretty boring, and…. Frankly it won't be hard to make you bored."

He chuckled and shook his head. "It's ok if you use your imagination, Gloria. In fact that is harder, it is easier to relate to something that has really happened. It doesn't matter what it is, reality or fantasy. I believe you will do a great job."

I gave him a crooked smile. "Thanks, well I better be off. See you tomorrow"

He waved me goodbye and so I left the classroom, meeting up with Alma who had been waiting for me outside.

We hurried down to catch the others.

"Nothing new about the rape?" Jimmy asked as we gathered by my locker. Joey was standing by my side when I took out a deck of cards from my bag. He bent forward and whispered discreet. "Dad's been coming home late again. Something's happened."

I noted the information and turned to the rest. "Anyone up for some games?" I held up the deck of cards showing it to the rest, suddenly Jimmy snapped it out of my grasp leaving me standing with a disturbed look on my face.

"Great idea, G" he was moving towards the nearest table in the corridor as I was closing my locker, swearing under my breath.

Everyone settled around the table as Jimmy started divide the cards between us with swift hand motions. "If anything will kill time, this certainly will."

I chuckled and grabbed my share of the cards, they where, as did everyone else. "What are we playing?"

Jimmy scratched his chin while nonchalantly chiming. "Barrack and Bush." (AN: Swedish card game)

I sorted out the cards in their right spots.

"So" Jimmy said as he started the game and put down two cards at the table, announcing the game to begin. "Any ideas of what you're going to write about?"

Joey grinned at Jimmy and placed his choice of cards down at the table as well. "Nah, but you seem to stick with you bacon and eggs?"

"Yeah, it's genius."

I rolled my eyes. That was just like Jimmy, everything he did was the best. And he was always good enough. It was actually a very good way to look at you, because it worked. Because he had faith in himself, and never thought anything as an embarrassing situation, everybody liked him for who he was.

Usually when I was given an exercise such as writing, I would be inspired and would have no difficulty what so ever. So it wasn't strange that this time I found myself doubting myself. I never experienced any complications, but this time something had obviously taken away my concentration. It wasn't so hard for me to know what it was. I glanced at the locker where my bag was safely held kept with the letter.

"Gloria!"

I snapped back to reality and realised that I had been so deep into my thoughts that I hadn't followed the game at all. "Oh.." I smiled a little and threw down three tens in the pile. "Sorry, I spaced out."

"Probably dreaming of her secret lover-" Jimmy said and smiled at me very pleased with himself but the smile disappeared just as quickly as it had come. I burst into laughter when Jake smacked him at the back of his head. Jimmy gave out a shriek and turned to Jake, still smiling though. "Hey, Jake! This doesn't work for me, man. I don't like being manhandled, it's not cool, man."

"Cool… un-cool. Whatever…"

Jimmy rolled his eyes at Jake and held his cards to his eyes again, but he found himself being smacked on the back of his head by Jake again. "Hey!" Jimmy shrieked again. "What's your problem man! "

"That's for not coming with a come back and rolling your eyes instead, Jimmy-boy."

I shook my head, chuckling. Those two really couldn't be without the other. They both were hilarious.

After Alma it was my turn to put down cards again, I divided them trying to see what was best to play with, but then I was drawn out of my concentration when I noticed a card that was misplaced. The figure on the card looked like a jester with bells on each corner of a green coloured hat. The jester was smiling, throwing up a deck of cards in the air. And on the side of the card was the down spelling word:

J

O

K

E

R

I stared at it for a second, but it felt like minutes due to the thoughts that ran through my head. A blinked a few times, coming back to reality again and threw the joker out of the game. "Wrong card." I laughed stupidly to myself, but in the back of my mind I knew what I was considering.

"Maybe I could- No…. but maybe perhaps if- No! … You know you want to Gloria Walkman." I sighed and played my cards. Then we were disturbed by the sound of the speakers on the walls that was connected to the principal's office if she wanted to air a collective newscast. "Students, good afternoon, this is your principal Raymond. I have some urgent news to bring you. I must ask you to immediately return to your homes after school and not to leave at all, especially not at night. If you must leave your homes go with someone so that you will never be alone and more vulnerable. I have been asked to cast this due to the news of the escape of the Arkham patient known as The Joker." Jimmy's eyes went wide, and he threw the cards on the table. "Holy shit! I was right! He must be the rapist!" They started discussing the escape of the criminal, some sounded worried, some terrified, but as I sat there all quiet I felt how a small smile grew on my face. I didn't know why… I should have felt horrible and worried. Frightened to the very least. But frankly I felt content with the thought of him being outside the walls of Arkham. I told my self that I was crazy.

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It rained that night. The drops of the rain hit my window in unrythmistic patterns. The sound of the rain was soothing, especially when I was alone. Mother was working late, and father as well. He had to stay to be interviewed at Arkham and such I suppose. I just hoped everything would go well. I sat by my table, trying to write the self-biography. My headline was not the best, but it was all I could think of. "Smile to the letter."

I rolled my eyes at my own in creativeness. Something was wrong with me, something was taking my mind of my work. Well, now it wasn't that much of a question of what it was. A criminal, a killer of that was out with free hands, which was quite alarming.

Suddenly I saw a flash and a few seconds after I heard a big rumble from outside. I hated the lightning; it scared me to be honest. I sighed and moved melancholy to my stereo and pressed on the on button.

I smiled when I heard the melody of The Veronicas; Untouched reaching my ears. This would definitely make things better and take my mind of the lightening.

I sat down on my chair again and closed my eyes to listen to the drums of the music.

"I go ooh ooh, you go ah ah

L-l-l-la, ah l-l-l-ah

I can la, la, la, la, l-la, la

I wanna, wanna, wanna get, get, get don't stop"

"Give me what you got, got

Cause I can't wait, wait, wait, anym-more, more, more

Don't even talk about the consequence

Cause right now you the only thing that's making sense to me"

I sang with the song, rocking my head playfully back and forth. I didn't notice the door that opened as I spinned the chair around laughing at myself. The I stopped and my eyes caught something almost unbelievable by the door.

Nothing could distract me from this, not the lightening, not the rain, not even the great music that was playing from my stereo. The rhythm was still beating in my ears, and felt how I slowly stood up backing to the wall to seek comfort, because my desire and my fear had finally catched me.

Because there he was.

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**I will be abroad for two weeks after this chapter so I will have no access to any computer, I'm afraid. But I will still write by hand. I'll see you later, and remember to review. Special thanks to those who have reviewed the previous chapter 3 love you guys. **

**Chrisse**


	7. Chapter 7

I'd like to thank all of you who reviewed the earlier chapter. You really make my day.

Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or any of it's characters.

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Chapter seven

"_Guns don't kill people — people do"_

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From the moment he stepped into my room, the atmosphere had gradually changed from my own normal, sincere and controlled status into what now felt like tense, cold and scarcely silent status. I suppose I had taken his existence for granted – I had only considered and never studied him possibly seeking me out and kill me. I couldn't even begin to guess how he had managed to come over the information of my whereabouts, but it would make some sense if he had killed or threatened himself to it. Well, it didn't really matter, because he had already found me and stood right in front of me.

The air between us was melancholy thick, and suddenly I found it hard to breath.

I watched him move clumsily and yet swiftly to my table he pressed the button on my player and the music stopped. I hadn't realised that it was still playing. Then he pulled out a chair and put it in the middle of my room. I saw his head slowly turning, his eyes concentrated on me, who was propped up in the corner. I only got a small glance of his ghoulish smile before I turned my eyes down. I dared not observe any further.

I closed my eyes hard. ´Now's the time for that invisibility superpower I've always wished for.´

The letters we had exchanged had been adventures for myself, never have done anything like it. I sneaked a quick glance at him. The letters had been thrilling, but this was a clear overdose. And clearly it was stupid and irresponsible of me. I had put my own and my family's life at risk.

I gathered strength and courage and finally raised my eyes to study the man before me. He was taller than I had expected, and he did look very well trained to have been locked up in a room in Arkham all these months. His clothes were wet, due to the rain outside, and the fabric was clenching to his chest, showing of the muscles I never would have imagined he had.

Mentally slapping myself I reminded myself that he was a dangerous killer and not a museum artefact to stare at all day. But it was hard to not look at this remarkable man and admire the unconventional manner. The sight of him was… beautiful. I had never seen anything like him before. His eyes, the face, the hair and his posture – everything seemed to relate or his whole image would perish, almost like an orchestra. Every instrument was needed to create one perfect sound. And to me – he was perfect.

His gloved hand still rested on the arm of my chair, and his chest was rising and sinking – he was breathless. I looked up at his face again, and this time I saw something by his mouth. Scars? Each scar was running from the corners of his mouth, to the middle of his cheek, but it was harder to spot them due to the layers of make-up he had put on. There was a chance he had inflicted the scars to himself, all though I could never imagine why. Suddenly like I hadn't known of it before, I felt his eyes on me. I stiffened and slowly raised my eyes to meet his.

´Brown´… I thought.

Everything from that moment felt like a dream, so unreal, and yet closer to reality than anything else. It didn't make sense. All I knew was that he was standing in front of me and staring at me. Me! I knew deep inside of me, that I wanted this. He was the desire of my heart; I wanted him to look at me. I wanted him to see me. And now that I had him here, I didn't know what to do with him.

Just then he took a step forward, I gasped and flinched pressing myself further to the wall, but there was no escape. I saw him shake his head and chuckle a little over my reaction. He bend over as if he was going to pick up something, but instead he was holding his right hand to his chest and the other one was stretched out in the air. I realised that he was bowing.

"Good e-vening… G."

My eyebrows twitched together once when I heard his voice. It sounded light, almost to light to be coming from a man. Not only that his voice held a hint of some kind of friendly tone. But there was a greasy smoothness as well that faltered it, and somehow I could hear the small tone of a very unstable man

He made a sudden move again, and to my disappointment I flinched like a coward once more. I wasn't usually nervous and afraid. But this man was intimidating. He chuckled once more, and moved to the side of the chair scratching his chin, made a small nod to the chair. "C'mere." he only had to say nonchalantly to me to make me understand that he had pulled out the chair for me.

I stared stupidly at the chair as if I didn't know how to use it, took a step forward and looked sceptically up at him. My instincts told me to confront him, but it wouldn't help me. Even though he felt threatening to have him inside my house, I could do nothing about it. He was taller than me, and obviously weighed twice my weight and he looked a lot stronger than me. Oh, yes I could confront him, if I wanted to die that is.

I sighed in defeat and finally sat down on the chair.

He made a small sound that contained a tone of satisfaction, while he slowly started to circle me. Strangely enough I could feel his eyes roam all over me, and it disturbed me to not know what he was thinking about. What was he planning?

I tried to look at him when he was behind me, but every time he peeped forward in the corner of my eyes I diverted him. He stepped closer, making me lean from him uncomfortably. Then he did something I never had expected in a million years. He grabbed a curl of my hair, but softly without making the roots hurt and he leaned forward, took in the sent and then he clicked with his tongue and continued circling me.

My eyebrows rose to the air, and I was blinking confused. What was up with him?

He started to whistle and stepped up so that I could see him, and he held out his arms turning in circles to show me his form. "Well, Gloria?" he said when he had stopped. "Do I..uh.. live up to your expectations?" He looked down at me, now with an intense look.

I remained silent. _"Oh, no you're a bloody failure.",_ I thought sarcastically.

He backed up to the wall, leaned back at it while putting his hands in his pockets. The whole gesture looked so natural and human, that I couldn't suppress a smile.

He licked his lips and clicked with his tongue. "Well… uh… you're not exactly what I expected. Thought you were going to be-" He cleared his throat as if he was embarrassed to say it. "… older."

My smile disappeared as fast as it had come. I couldn't believe me ears from that second on. _"Bloody moron" _I thought very upset and I didn't know if my feelings where exposed through my eyes, I tried to hide it but he chuckled when he looked at me. I knew I wanted revenge, and the only way to do that was to give him an insult back. Perhaps even a better one than he gave me. "Well" I said with a very conceited look on my face. "Your not exactly my type either."

I thought he was going to kill me after my comment, but he held a finger towards me and waved it playfully. "Your…a smart li_tt_le girl." With a very strange look on his face he pointed his fingers to himself. "I appreciate smart people. Do you know why?"

I took my eyes away from him. I wasn't really ready to have a conversation with an Arkham patient.

"Hey… Look at me…." He said calmly with a low voice, but it still sounded firm and steadfast. I didn't refuse him.

"So… "he said flipping something he was holding in his hand. "Let's start from the beginning. You… saw the add in the newspaper... hmm? Well, that was a little trick my psychiatrist was playing on me. We don't have to worry about Allman anymore though." He chuckled.

As if I was trying to act like I cared I nodded.

"Well…" Joker said with a cheerful voice. He straightened his back and pointed what he was holding in his hand to me. "I had a real boring time in there, that was until you paid a little attention to me." I could hardly hear his words, I only saw the flip knife he was holding in his hand that was currently pointed towards me and tried to figure out how he managed to take it out without me noticing anything. Was I really that inattentive?

"So I thought that it would be fun sending a letter back, don't ya think?" He looked at me as if he expected an answer; almost like a little disappointed child he lowered his arm and his look changed into a doubtful one. "You've got it don't you?"

My eyes trailed to my bed where my bag was and he followed my eyes and as if he understood what I meant he lit up again and continued speaking. "Well, I was thinking all of the time… who would ever want to write to me?" He leaned back and laughed, but it was a soft laugh. "Not even my mother writes to me… well, that's not so strange: she's dead… but you see I thought about it." He sat himself comfortably on the chair and looked at me with a serious look on his face and he was holding his finger to his forehead. "I thought, and thought about it… and then!" He made a gesture throwing his arms out. "It suddenly came to me… only a stupid person would do this. Someone like you."

I was confused. He started off calling me smart and then suddenly he labels me as stupid…

"But then… I read your letter over and over again and I realised that I was dealing with something more. I was dealing with someone who was… let's say … interested in my work."

My mouth popped open. Would he actually for even one second think that I was actually admiring him for killing people? I closed my mouth and slowly shook my head. "Your so wrong…" I almost whispered.

"No, no." He said shaking a finger. "Let me explain. I don't think your the type who… uh… sheds blood, see I can tell when a person has a seen a dead body or not. And your not one of them sweethear_t_."

He licked his lips and pointed both fingers to himself. "See, I know you're curious about me. I get to people. Quite often… and I know that you… and I… were going to have so much fun."

I opened my mouth to say something hoping that it would be able to make my current situation into a more controlled and stable one, but as unlucky as I was he started saying something as well. I stopped abruptly, as did he as if mimicking what I did. I bit the side of my cheek to keep me from speaking my mind. You see, interrupting people is very rude, and I usually won't take it. But because he was insane and all, I guess he deserved a little special treatment and the make-up did raise his status higher on my list… just the tiniest. To tell you the truth, I didn't know that very much about him at all, I didn't think anybody else did ether – all that had been exposed of him to me was on his surface. Who know what really was deep inside of him? Safe to say, all that I knew was that he was a danger to me and to himself – but in some kind of freaky and twisted way – I liked it.

Funny, huh?

I didn't notice the smug smirk that grew on his face. It was hardly noticeable under the red colour that covered his whole mouth area and some parts of his cheeks. He flicked his hand towards me, encouraging me to begin, though I didn't register the message until a few seconds later. I felt utterly stupid and embarrassed. Disturbed, I started to blame him for dazzling me all the time and blaming him for being the reason I felt so unsure of myself. He was actually throwing me to my death.

Thanks – Clownhead.

Fate played a cruel joke on me, just when I was about to begin with my point I just had to glance up to see the smirk still playing on his lips. Even though I found myself in this awkward situation, I actually found the nerve to smile as well. Somehow, this criminal, this man affected me, but I wasn't sure how yet. I harkled and then I did the mistake to look straight into his eyes. The dark brown orbs seemed to look through me, as if he was burning a whole through my skull. I found the pitch-black colour smeared around his eyes suiting him well. It made his eyes shine, and the white turn into glowing half-moons. To be honest –I loved it. Not that I was mentally noting how to apply my make-up next time. It just… intrigued me.

I remembered suddenly that he was still waiting for my answer and I felt the embarrassment wash over me again. Of course I still put the blame on him, it actually helped a little. As if letting go of the situation, I did what I usually did when someone gave me a question. I said exactly what I was thinking: "Could you by any chance leave and go back to, er… wherever it is you belong?" Mentally I was hinting for Arkham, and something told me by the look of his eyes that he knew it as well. Perhaps I would be better of from now on taking caution?

His smirk disappeared and rose a shaking hand in the air, gesturing what I assumed was like a mad man. "Now why would I suddenly do that, Gloria?" he answered too snapping for me to relax.

I braided my fingers together, like some kind of "good" therapist would and swiftly threw one of my legs over the other. "Well" I said and then tucked my bangs behind my ears. "I'm not that accustomed with letting strangers into my home."

"We're not strangers." I heard him say but I decided to continue.

"Where as you seem to have no temporary issues with it."

He had been looking around my room, studying the environment he was in. He gave a little chuckle and gripped the cup with Captain Sugar that was on my table. "Issues" he mimicked me with a rather light voice.

I felt how my cheeks flushed and I knew I was blushing. I decided I wanted my revenge. "But, were all different, aren't we?"

His eyes darted to mine, just almost when I had finished the sentence. That definitely caught his attention. His eyes crumpled together in a way I had never seen before, giving me a reasoning look. "Different… hm?"

"Yes, were all different."

He shook his head, pointing to me with his fingers. "You were hinting to me, sweetie. Don't try to escape. Now define… differen_t_?

I swallowed. Perhaps it had been a mistake to do this…

"Not normal?" That was only half an answer and I knew it. But it's hard to answer someone's questions, when you don't really know what they're looking for. Besides, he obviously wanted to hear something different from me.

He tilted his head to the side, watching me with his dark eyes. He absorbed all of me, or at least that was what I felt like when he was looking at me. The look on his face was clearly not amused, his eyes thinned while he brought a spoon full of Captain Sugar to his mouth. He chewed slowly still with his eyes on me. Beneath all the silence between us I could hear his chewing, and his slow breaths.

I decided to be the one to break the silence. "I'm sorry-"

"Do you even _know_ what normal is, G? Hm?" Joker cut me of again and brought another spoon of Captain Sugar to his mouth.

I was totally unprepared for such a question; I hadn't counted on anything like it. I figured that was the thing with a person like The Joker. You never really know where you have him. But he was right. Obviously I had been brought up with the illusion that the kind of life I lived was normal and anyone who lived different from the way I lived was… completely foreign. As much as I hated to admit it… he was right. I didn't really know what normal is.

"It's a simple question, G" Joker urged me.

I looked away from his eyes. I could simply state that a normal person would be a person with a casual house, or apartment. With children, and partner or inmate. But deep inside I knew it was wrong.

Joker put the cup away and dragged his chair closer to mine, but not without me protesting mentally. He lifted his arms, as if trying to settle his suit correctly over his shoulders. He closed his eyes very quick before he looked at me again. "Don't do that."

He stretched his upper body to it's full length reminding me of how much taller than me he was. "You think… too much. Don't, don't do that." He gestured to the window. "They think too much… and I don't think you're like them."

I nodded, pretending to understand. I only understood a few fragments of what he was giving me, I could only assume that ´they´ had to be the government, the doctors, the cops. Everyone who tried to work against him. I only had to hope that he had already decided where I was, and I hoped that I was some kind of neutral party.

Joker lifted his hand and he hinted with his finger for me to come closer. I bent closer and as did he. "Do you know what thinking leads to? Hm?" he asked with a softer and a very smooth voice.

"Ideas?"

"Plans…" he said with a very low and serious voice. I listened intensively, truth to be told I wanted to hear the rest, so I didn't protest when one arm came forth to the side of my head and started to stroke and play with one of my curls. "And do you know the thing about plans?" he asked while nodding.

He started twisting one of my curls around his finger while he said with a sing-song voice: "Their so easy to turn around-" he suddenly pulled at the curl now that he had a very firm grip around it, pulling my head down with a hard tug. I gave a shriek of pain while he hissed with a dark voice: "- and manipulate."

I gave out another shriek and gripped his hand. It was voluntary. It was a defence mechanism. I react when I get hurt. My whole body stiffened when I for the first time felt skin on mine in direct contact. It surprised me a little bid that his hands would be so soft and so warm. I had always imagined killers as cold and icy people.

I glanced up into his eyes and I felt my cheeks flush with warmth again when he was giving me a look like he had know idea what I was doing. Then I realised that he was so very close to me, closer than ever. Even so close that I could see the forms of his scars. My eyes widened when I saw how brutally and uncarefully the wounds had been sown together.

"Ah… I'd love to stand like this more, sweetheart. It gives a very good view of your eyes. However, you do realise that I have work to do."

I scoffed and pulled my hair out of his grip. "That hurts, Mr J." It took only a few seconds for me to realise that I had called him by my invented nickname for him.

When I looked up he had seated himself again, he was holding the cup and spoon with each arm again. Then I realised the knife he had held a moment ago was gone. After scanning my room for it, praying that it wasn't safely in his pocket I spotted it on my table. It was only a few meters from me. What if I could… no… that would be suicide.

"You know, your really not what I expected, G. I thought that you would be one of those fat kids with big glasses, you know the ones who sit at their computers all day playing… I don't know… games?" He waved with his spoon and smacked with his lips. "I hate those kind of kids."

My eyebrows rose. No comments…

Joker suddenly had a confused look on his own face when he saw my look. He bent forward nodding enthusiastically. "Uh… It's a compliment."

Then something happened, something I would never have wished for in a million years. My phone started ringing.

Joker's cheek twitched when we both could hear the hardly audible sound of the intro of Mona-Lisa, The All-American Rejects. I closed my eyes and gave out a troubled sigh.

Joker on the other hand looked pretty amused when he looked at my bag, which was from where the sound was coming from. "Ah…" he pointed to my bed. "Aren't you going to answer tha_t_?"

I stood up, knowing that there was no point refusing him. I looked at the display when I had pulled it out of my bag, the number was unknown. Without waiting for his consent I answered. "Gloria Walkman."

"Good evening, Miss Walkman. GCPD Commissioner Gordon speaking."

I suppressed a gasp, and tried to smile. Why had he called my phone? My phone? Before I answered I thought quickly for a second. I put every puzzle bit together and then I knew that I could save myself from the Joker. I suddenly smiled. "Oh, hello Joey!"

"Miss...?

"Yes, I'm alright. No you're not disturbing anything, I just have a visitor over." I glanced at the Joker. He was giving me an intensive look, as if he was watching everything I did.

"I'm sorry, Miss I don't understand anything you are- is he there?"

"Yes… I know. We should play another card game sometime. Were just going to have to remember to pull out the wild cars before we begin-"

Suddenly the phone had been snatched out of my hand, and I automatically turned around to see who the perpetrator was. Joker gave me a death glare while he put the phone to his own ear. "Miss, miss?" Commissioner Gordon said.

Joker gave out a loud growl, before he ripped the phone open and completely destroyed it. While he was demolishing my phone I backed up to the wall again. I held out my arms out as a shield when Joker slowly turned around to look at me with one of the most frightening, insane looks I had ever been given by anyone. "You know, I'm disappointed in you, Gloria. I thought you were smart. But you're a bad girl."

My heart started pounding faster when I saw him advance on me. "I'm taking you somewhere safe" he clicked with his mouth and nodded to me. "Now that they know… that's the best thing we can do." Then he shot at me, but I made a dodge to the right. Joker growled at me and tried to grip my arm but he missed. I backed up while screaming to him for the first time. "You are not taking me with you! Anywhere is safer but with you…"

He brushed off some dirt from his suit and straightened himself, when he was done he looked at me again, his eyes telling me exactly what he thought of what I had just said. My heart pounded faster, and with a squeal I turned around when he started to advance me again. I ran up to my door, but before I could even touch the handle a pair of arms circled me and lifted me into the air.

I screamed and struggled against the Joker, but resistance was futile. He was stronger than I had suspected. I kicked with my legs hoping to meet a soft spot but there was no success, and I tried to make him let go off me by digging my nails into his arms but the fabric was in the way. He pulled me away from the door and threw me again "You're making things so difficult, G. But I enjoy a challenge." Joker breather at the side of my ear.

He threw me against the wall, so that I collapsed on the floor. My whole head ached due to the hard impact and when I tried to look up at him my vision was blurry. All I could see was a grey figure bending over me.

"Goodnight." I heard a voice call and I felt a sudden big pressure on my face. That's when my world went black.

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So there you have it. I'm sorry haven't updated for very long, I've been fighting with this chapter so I'd really appreciate it if you reviewed. Everyone of you. It would be really great. Thanks.

Chrisse11


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you so much for all the reviews!! It's you who really keep me going, but it would be really great to be given some constructive criticism. I believe that there are some people who read my story without giving any feedback and that is ok, but I think that it's not fair for the author. We want to hear your actual opinion, what parts of the story is great and what you like the most, what you would want to change and what is not that good. Reviews are what keep us going.

Keep reviewing guys! I LOVE U

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Chapter eight

"I know people tell you all the time that smoking and taking drugs isn't healthy. Kids, to tell you the truth, that's just patronizing! What poor soul in the world does actually believe that smoking and taking drugs is healthy?"

-

Commissioner Jim Gordon shook his head slowly as he looked at the corps of Doctor James Allman that was currently spilled out in his own office in Arkham Asylum.

There were papers and pens spread all over the room, and the office chair was lying in the corner, broken at the legs. There was a pile of blood around Allmans chest and most parts of his white suit were covered with blood as well, the marks of the murder weapon that had been used was still visible, at least if you leaned close enough.

Allmans fingers were placed in unnatural positions that weren't possible without breaking the bones. _Tortured…_ Jim Gordon thought tiredly.

Gordon sighed as he started to dial a number on his phone, but he was interrupted. "It's a real shame." The dark rumbling voice revealed to belong to one of the newest officer's, Thatcher was his name. Gordon gave him a slight nod in return. "The poor soul was his psychiatrist, wasn't he?" the officer continued. "Any motive for killing him?"

Gordon was about to answer but he then he hesitated, looked around to check that there were no cameras, no journalist from the press who wanted to get an early bonus paycheck. They couldn't afford any leak to the press, at least not to that point. Instead of saying what Gordon really thought he looked down at the beginner-officer with reasoning look on his face. "He's a patient in Arkham, Thatcher. He's crazy."

Thatcher nodded as if weighing the comment in his mind. "Yeah, well. Just thought there was a catch to it. "

"We can't discuss it here."

There was a slight knock on the door and they both turned around. There was a tall blond woman standing by the door with a bag, she didn't look like a typical police so Gordon guessed she was one of the paramedics. He gave her a smile and shook her hand. "Jim Gordon. "

"Rachel Samuels."

"You here for the…" Gordon gestured to the body and Samuels nodded. She opened her bag and pulled out a pair of gloves.

"Yeah" she said with a sigh. "I'm here for the dirty work. The boys will be here in a few moments, sir. They'll be a little late, though."

-

After a long day in Arkham Asylum Gordon and the rest of all his co-workers had finally returned to the police station, but in a rather dull nature. After all, one of their most feared enemies had escaped. They had all gathered in the meeting room where they planned most of their missions, where Gordon was now explaining their situation.

"People!" Gordon burst out to get everybody's attention. The silent but still audible whispers in the room disappeared and Gordon was given the attention he deserved.

"We have an insane prisoner on the loose in Gotham. And according to Arkhams information, Gloria Walkman joined the event where people were invited to send a letter to this patient known as The Joker. She is now gone as well reported from Mr and Mrs Walkman! We need to find them both before something - we will regret for the rest of our lives - happens. We cannot let this… man control us again. I need you all to cooperate to your fullest strength and ability!"

Gordon strolled up to a digital watch and he pressed a button and everyone in the room could see how the numbers started counting down. "We've got 32 hours before this goes out to the press, and those are golden hours we cannot waist. We need to find them!"

The policemen in the room started to applaud but silenced to listen to Gordon's assignments. Gordon (bläddrade) through his papers and then he started speaking. "Lucas! See if you can find the letter Gloria Walkman sent to Arkham, and if possible find the reply. We need them copied and studied. Take Reels with you."

The two officers disappeared out of the room, and the policemen started whispering frantically about the situation again.

"Hey!" Gordon bellowed to get their attention again. "Bridgestone, Cluggs, Merrill – see if you can find any information in Doctor Allmans files about alias The Joker."

Another group of officers disappeared. "Jameson – Your on the computer. Find them."

Gordon put the pile of papers on the desk in front of him with a loud thud. "The rest of you, do a survey on Miss Walkman, you know - the regular."

The officers was just about to run out of the room in a big hurry, but Gordon pressed his hand on one of the officers shoulder to get his attention. It was Thatcher. "Thatcher" Gordon said with serious tone. "We need coffee."

Thatcher nodded slowly. "What about you, sir?"

"I'm going talk to an… old friend."

Thatcher's cheek twitched when he heard this comment. He stiffened. "You mean…Ba-?" he began but stopped when he saw that Commissioner Gordon was already on his way out.

-

I gave out a very annoyed whimper when I felt a cold wind draft rush over my body. I moaned with an irritated tone and turned around on what felt like a rather hard surface. Had my bed suddenly turned into some kind of stone mattress? On top of that, the cloth around me felt really thin, it wasn't serving its purpose at all, which in this case was to give me warmth. Even if that was the case, I didn't want to wake up. I was being much too comfortable. At least as much as the cloth and mattress could offer me.

Then suddenly I was aware of small rhythmic thuds on the floor. I gave out another whimper of irritation as I took the pillow I had been resting on and covered my ears with it. But guess what? The pillow was made of very bad material as well; I could hear the thuds on the floor just as well as before. Crappy cheap pillow! But the thuds sounded louder, as if they were coming closer. "Go away…" I mumbled, but it sounded more like: "Gmmway."

The thudding continued and I was about to scream to whatever it was to get lost when I realised that it was footsteps and just to whom the footsteps obviously belonged.

"Good morning my li_tt_le sunshine." a very annoyingly positively exaggerated voice called out.

I shot up from the bed, and my plan was to land with my feet on the bed to show that good- for- nothing - bastard that I was holding my guard, or at least that was my intension, but instead my body hadn't really woken up yet, so my brain was faster than the rest of me. One of my feet got tangled in the worthless cloth, I hate it, and I fell over the side of the bed.

"Ow…" I moaned angrily and gathered all the pride and courage I had left and picked myself up.

While brushing of some dirt I sneaked a glance to the Joker who was leaning against a wooden pillar just beside my bed, his hands was crossed and he did look amused apart from the painted smile on his face. I met his eyes, and I felt how my face hardened. My attitude towards him had changed drastically. When I read about him I couldn't wait for a chance to get a person like his attention, but now that I had it I wanted nothing more then to be left alone. It's funny how you can change your mind so quickly. It's very similar to the relationship when you take the other person for granted and think you don't need them when you have them, and then when you don't have them you need them. More or less.

"Hi…" I said very firmly and rather unenthusiastic.

"Not a morning person, huh?"

I blinked and sat down on the bed in front of me with all the pride I had left. I wanted to show him that he couldn't break me so easily. "Not exactly, no." I extracted my fingers easily through my thick dark, long hair, but then I hissed in pain when I felt a bump on my head. Irritation heated in my veins again, but I knew that I had to calm myself down. I hissed in pain again when I tried to study the bump, but I gave Joker a glare when I heard him giggling lightly.

"Uh… that one's my fault I think."

The only response I gave him was a blood thirsty, cold, death glare, and then I turned my head away from him. I needed to melt all that had happened to me, but that mission was clearly impossible since Mr. I-love-make-up insisted upon being inside the room I was being kept in.

Krscht

I closed my eyes hard when I heard the annoying and nerve wrecking sound. For a minute there, I actually had been enjoying the silence. Then something unexpected was reaching my nostrils. It was a very sweet scent of something my mother often would bake. I glanced at The Joker, and he was holding something by his mouth, chewing. When he saw the look I was giving him he held something out to me, the _something_ made a very metallic sound. "Cookies?" he said with a very innocent look on his face.

I looked down at something that looked like a shining headless bear. My eyes widened when I realised what it was. "Not only do you kidnap me! You steal cookie-jars from my parents! What kind of a person are you?" I yelled slapping the back of my hand on my other hands palm, while staring up at him with a penetrating look. "How do you sleep at night!?"

He was chuckling when he retrieved the cookie-jar from me, he pointed with a finger at me. "Ah -aah…" His face crumbled together. "I don't steal, G. I'm surprised you label me with one of those regular thieves. I just… wanted to bring something you could remember your home from" He was silent for a few seconds as if he had realised something, and he nodded his head to the side while squinting with his eyes. "The cookies were just a bonus."

_So, the headless bear would be my only memory? Yeah, right. _

"Oh, and as for my… sleeping ability." He turned a little around and took another bite from the cookie. Then he tilted his head to the side as if he was weighing what he thought. "It's very comforting, thank you."

I couldn't believe he had just said that... I could **not** believe that he had just said that! My eyebrows quirked up and I stared at him, and somewhere inside of me I was hoping that my point made it through to him. When he didn't make any sign I felt my anger bubble up once more. "Your unbearable!" I screamed, as he was moving towards the door. He turned around to look at me while he still was walking towards the door, he squinted with his eyes again and smiled stupidly at me. "Nonsense, I'm a joy to be around!"

"You wish."

Then I realised he was leaving.

"No, you can't leave me here! Let me go! Let! Me! Go!"

There was no use, the door closed behind him. He completely ignored me, that bastard. I gave up a sigh and waved my hand to the door and let it fall helplessly to my thigh as if I was trying to make a point to myself. I growled and threw the pillow from the bed on the wall as hard as I could.

-

The police commissioner put the cup of tea in front of the Walkman couple, and then he sat down on the empty chair on his side of the table. "Ma'am, Sir." He said with a very low and soft spot. "We'll find her, I promise."

put his arm around his wifes shoulders and stroked her arm with soothing motions. "We don't know how… this happened. How could-" His voice didn't last the whole way. He covered his mouth with his fist and his eyes started to tear up.

Commissioner Gordon who had experienced many worried and anxious parents just like these, almost too many times to be healthy, decided to move on. Of course it was important to respect the parents, but at the same time it was much more important to find their daughter. "We could really use your help. Is there anything you can tell us about… who, Gloria spends her time with- connections, hobbies, conditions in school. Anything can help."

Mrs. Walkman took a sip from her cup of tea before she answered. "Gloria… she is a straight A student. We are very proud of her. She isn't the kind of girl who draws attention. She's perfect!"

Mr. Walkman nodded in agreement.

"All though." Mrs. Walkman said very thoughtfully and put her cup down. "She likes to experiment."

Gordon frowned. "Experiment? What kind of experiments?"

"Mostly social experiments. She's very interested in human reactions and psychological aspects."

Gordon nodded without saying anything, which meant he wanted to hear more. He scratched what he had heard in his little black notebook.

"Any certain experiments you think I should know of?"

"Not… that we know of." Mr and Mrs. Walkman glanced at each other with question marks on their faces. "She's been up in her room lately, up to something I guess. Commissioner Gordon do you think that her disappearance has something to do with her… experiments?"

Gordon sighed, and he bent forward putting a piece of paper in front of the couple. Mr Walkman's eyes widened in realisation when he saw the news add about the Joker.

Gordon nodded, noticing Mr Walkmans look. "I have proof to believe that your daughter has been voluntarily participated in this, and reason to believe that she also has been kidnapped by Arkham Patient K39, alias The Joker."

Mrs Walkman shook her head, and without realising it she was hugging her husbands arm. "Not him…" she said while frantically shaking her head. "No, it can't be him. It's not him."

Gordon sighed. No parent should be forced to go through something like this. Especially when their daughter's life is lying in a cold-blooded crazy mans hands. "I'm sorry."

The room was filled with Mrs Walkmans sobbing. Her husband held her and let her cry on his shoulder. "My baby…" she sobbed. "My poor baby…"

Gordon stood up and sighed. If he could have had it his way, The Joker would have been dead along time ago. "I promise you I will do everything in my power to bring her back."

-

Every time he opened that door, I gave him a glare and mostly he didn't say anything. Maybe because he thought there was no use or maybe because he was tired. Everytime he closed the door I always heard the same thing.

Klick!

He likes to lock the door. (AN: Gloria has a sense of humour! ;P What the fudge?)

I didn't know what was going on outside my room, but the days went, and there was no way that The Joker was just sitting on a chair waiting for some magical miracle-chaos to suddenly hit him in the nose and say "Hey, play with me! Play with me!" He was obviously out there… doing his thing.

He never slept at night. Neither did I. The only times I actually could sleep was when my body had worn out. When I was awake, I could hear him at night, throwing his knifes at the wall. Sometimes I even heard the TV.

I didn't understand what he wanted me for. What good was I? He was only treating me like some kind of pet. Feeding me, keeping me in here like it was some kind of cage.

One night I heard several voices through the wall, and I figured that The Joker had gathered some kind of group of goons or something. Perhaps he was going to begin some serious chaos. I couldn't know if he already had. I was totally blocked from civilisation.

I wanted to tell myself that I would be strong. But the truth was that I was scared to death.

They fed me, and they gave me candy. Surprisingly, yes they did. The Joker did seem to have some sense of humour even though it was a very odd one of that. Oh, you noticed I mentioned "they"? Yeah, well obviously Joker had gathered some recruits pretty fast because the next thing I knew, this balled guy was standing in my room. I still feel like puking every time I think of his sick, perverted and twisted smile. Sure Jokers smile was pretty twisted too, but the likes of this smile? It gives me the creeps even now.

"Hey, tuts." He said smiling and pressed something cold to my throat. It was a knife.

"Who are you…"

"Tell me your name…" he said with a shaking voice, his breath seeping down on my face. He almost sounded like he was desperate.

Ew…

"Uh… take it easy there, buddy. Maybe you should leave…"

He blinked at me and reached out for me with his other hand.

"Don't touch me." I said with a stern voice while staring into his eyes intensively.

Another smile started to grow on his face, and then he started to chuckle while starting to reach out to me again. "You have no power here, little girl."

I frowned at him and surprisingly it almost sounded like I was growling. "Wrong answer…"

Then I shoved my knee into his groin, which made him back up and double up on the floor while mumbling: "You little bitch."

I ran to the door and shoved my fist on it panicking. This was the only help I could find. "Hey! HEY! This freaking pervert is in my room! Get him out of here!"

"Come back here you little wench…"

I turned my head around and watched him coming closer to me. My eyes widened when I saw the cold-blooded look in his eyes. I knocked harder on the door while turning my back to it. "Get away from me you, pervert!"

"Oh, don't worry little girl. I just want to know your name…"

"You're an asshole who tricks small girls with candy… perverted garbage." My eyes thinned. "Clown you brought me here, don't dump this freak in my room!"

Suddenly I felt the door behind me budge. When I turned around to see who it was I frowned in confusion.

A young guy who had a tube-top and messy hair stepped up. I blinked a few times when he looked at me and then to the pervert. The guy crossed his hands and leaned on the side of the door. "Well, well, well" he said with a very shrewd look on his face. "Parson… I'm sure Joker would like a good kill, but I'm not that spiked on cleaning you up."

I backed up to the wall, and glanced at the balled guy who was staring at the other guy.

"Go on…" The younger guy said while nodding his head to the door. "Get out."

Parson, the one who obviously was the horny pervert looked at Tube top.-guy with a confused look. Hell, even I was confused. But this guy was my saviour, no matter who he was so I just zipped my mouth and accepted it.

Parson slowly walked out with his head down. _Yeah, you better go_, I thought while giving him a death glare. For a second, Parson stopped and stared back at me, but then Tube top-guy gave him a smack at the back of his head. "Hey! Parson… focus, man! You can't let go of your brain like that!"

Parson stiffened, and then he went out of the room.

I gave out a sigh of relief and put my hand over my heart.

"You ok?"

I looked up. The tube-top guy was still left. What was he doing anyway? Wasn't he supposed to be cruel, mean, dangerous and vile? He was being the complete opposite! He actually seemed pretty normally… nice.

"Uh… ok, I guess."

"Good… Parson, he's uh… not the person to hang out with." He made a sound as he whirled his finger on the side of his head. "Whacko, ya know."

I raised my eyebrows and nodded. _Right… so The Joker wasn't?_

Tube-top suddenly burst out laughing and pointed at me. "I know just what your thinking. It's true…" Then he turned serious. "But no… not like him."

I shook my head and opened my mouth to protest, but then I closed it and sighed while moving to put my bed in order.

"You don't have to do that, ya know."

He was still lingering at the door.

"I'm obviously going to be here for a while" I said and folded the cloth carefully. "Might as well keep it cleaner then the rest of this… dump." I turned around and gave him a smile. Ok, so I was being a little nice to the guy, but c'mon- he saved my life… or my innocence if you like. He deserved some respect.

"So how have you been enjoying your stay so far?"

I stiffened with my hands on the bed cloth. Seriously? I shook my head when I realised that he was only being a funny guy, no harm to it.

"It's pretty cold in this place, and sheets are worthless. The food so far… sucks… But it's cool."

"Actually today I'm going to make your food, uh… "

I turned around. "Who's the main chef then?"

"Uh, that's Luigi." I frowned when I realised that Tube-top was playing with a small ball. Where had that come from?

"What happened to him?"

Tube-top was silent for a moment, but then he smiled. "Oh Luigi, well he… uh… he cut himself on his… knife. But he's ok."

I nodded slowly, and for a minute there the only thing we did was looking at each other as if we were testing our strength. Who would break the eye contact first?

"Why are you doing this?" I asked silently.

"What?"

"Your… nicer than anyone else of these… psycho's. Well, I've only met two psycho's and you're the first one who is like… normal."

He opened his mouth to say something while throwing the ball into his other hand, but was interrupted by a purple shadow coming into the room.

"Hey, hey sweet-cheeks! Guess what? Your on the news!" The Jokers arms where spread, and he did look quite happy. But the next second his smile faded when he noticed that someone else was inside the room.

The Joker turned his head slowly to Tube-top, giving him a blank stare. "Dale… "

"Sorry, boss. Parson was here…"

The Joker rolled his eyes up, but this time it wasn't because of his ticks. He was actually rolling his eyes at Parson. "Uuurgh… get rid of him Dale. I don't like that balled thug." _Apparently I'm not the only one._ "On the other hand, invite him for dinner and I'll get rid of him! Now go."

Without a question Tube-top a.k.a. Dale went out of the room and deserted me with Purple-Nurple man.


	9. Chapter 9 TRAILER!

**Ok, so people this is a trailer. The whole chapter isn't ready but I'd thought I'd give you a taste of what is coming. Reviews are loved, and… uh… well, have a good time reading. **

* * *

"How does it feel, Gloria?" With that question he had my attention again. "How does it feel to know how alone you _really_ are at this point… It's dangerous, and risky… but quite the rush?"

I rolled my eyes at this. "It's not a dream come true if that's what you're asking."

"No, no, no, no, no… It's deeper than that." He looked at me with enchanting eyes, and for a split second it really felt like he was looking into my soul. "This is something you really, _really_ want. Isn't it Gloria?"

I blinked confused over what he just had said, but then I decided to play confident. "Right, very deep. Now, is there something else you'd like to add?"

"Is it so hard for you to just cooperate."

"Oh, I'm sorry." I said with an ironic voice. "Do your hostages usually do what you want all the time?"

"Yeah" he stated with a stoic face.

I snorted and turned my face away. _Pathetic_. He was trying to convince me that I wanted this. This? Ok, so I maybe wanted to meet him a little bit. And I always enjoyed a good challenge. But this was overdoing it. Besides, he wasn't a game, even though it would be easier to pretend if he was one. There was going to be a point where The Joker would want me to do something I would not be willing. This I had figured out pretty fast, but I didn't know if I would be ready to face whatever it would be he wanted me to do when the time finally came. The risk is that at that moment, I would be uncooperative and get myself killed. For a second I started to think about the optimistic and positive reaction and behavior the smiling cat in Alice in Wonderland always had. _Always look on the bright side, indeed_, I thought and faced The Joker again.

Again he was looking at me as if he was in deep though, which he obviously was. Maybe he was trying to figure out what I was thinking about, or maybe he was planning how he was going to turn me into a soup. Oh, right. He doesn't plan. My bad.

"It's a rush."

The Joker twitched his head as if he had suddenly awoken from a deep slumber and looked confused at me. "Say what?"

"It's a rush. My fingers tingle. Sometimes I'm afraid, but at other times I feel like laughing."

His eyebrows twitched.

"I don't want this, and yet I do." I continued." The really weird thing is that you're great. You're _unbearable_, but you're great. Does that make sence? And-"

"Oh shush, shush!" he said interrupting me. Well, he wanted me to tell him how it feels so why on earth did he suddenly want me to quite down?

"You're giving me a headache."

I burst out laughing completely catching him of guard. "I'm giving _you_ a headache?" I continued laughing holding one arm around my stomach. The other one I was pointing at The Joker. "Oh, you… you little clown, you…" I knew that my behavior was getting awkward, even for a guy like The Joker. Perhaps I was getting close to my breaking point. _I'm not going to cry_ I thought to myself while laughing. _I will __**not **__cry!_

"Are you going to cry?" Now that comment caught me completely of guard. My laughing slowly faded and my face slowly turned stoic. I looked at Joker. His eyes were dark, and so was his voice.

Well, what's the point of fighting it? He already knew, didn't he? Then I shook that thought of me and came back to reality again.

"No" I said blinking a few times feeling the tears burn in my eyes. "No, I'm not."

"Good, cause crying girls creeps me out." He stood up and stretched his arms. "I've got something for you."

I tightened my grip on the chair as he advanced me, but he didn't touch me as I thought he would have. He put his hand on the chair as well and leaned over me to reach on his desk behind him. Involuntarily, the scent of a dark cologne reached my nostrils. I frowned, but then I stopped. Well, it wasn't _that_ weird that the guy actually cared about how he smelled.

"This-uh… this is my gift to you, G." He reached back his arm and held out a clown mask to me.

I didn't know what to say. What could I say? Oh, gee thanks. It's what I've always wanted. No.

"Uh… I"

"Take it."

I looked up at The Joker, who was standing very close to me. I noticed now that his legs where touching my knees. He had a cheerful look in is eyes. Was he being nice to me?

"I couldn't possible-"

"Oh, don't be such a winer. It's not like it's a family heirloom. Take it! It's yours!"

I reached out and took the mask in my hands. The mask was a balled clown. It wasn't happy, it was quite the opposite. It looked kind of grumpy with the down turned eyebrows and the bitter mouth with the mouth-corners turned down too. The hollow shape of the eyes was circled with red paint, and there was a red spot on the big nose, and a spot on each cheek. I turned the mask around to look on the inside, it was completely gray but I could see around the place where the eyes should be where smeared with black colour, and on other places where the colour white and red. Evidently, this was the mask The Joker himself had used when performing his evil schemes. Oh, right no plans.

"What is the meaning-"

The Joker moved to his door and waved with his gloved hand at the same time.

"From here on, G. You're my apprentice and I'm your mentor."

Then suddenly the door closed. The Joker was gone. I was still there with that… mask.

My whole body stiffened, my fingers clenched together and I closed my eyes hard and tried to suppress the urge but I couldn't. I was sure everyone in the house could hear me scream in anger about a stupid, selfish, unbearable, cheapskate, crazy, insane, maniacal, homicidal clown.

**I'll finish the chapter later. Just feel that I have to concentrate on my work and at the same time I didn't want to fail you guys. Cause I love to hear what you think. Ok, personally I loved this trailer part. L-O-V-E-D it. But guess what would make me love it more? Reviews^^. Well anyways, have an awesome week. **

**Remember, be yourselfs!**


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